Straight-chain saturated acids and their methyl esters

acid methyl ester

chain

length IUPAC

name common

name melting point

(&\\#x00b0;C) boiling point

(&\\#x00b0;C) melting point

(&\\#x00b0;C) boiling point*

(&\\#x00b0;C)

1 methanoic formic 8 101 — 32

2 ethanoic acetic 17 118 — 56

3 propanoic propionic −21 141 — 80

4 butanoic butyric −8 162 — 102

5 pentanoic valeric −35 184 — 127

6 hexanoic caproic −2 205 — 150

7 heptanoic enanthic −9 223 — 172

8 octanoic caprylic 16 240 — 193

9 nonanoic pelargonic 15 255 — 214

10 decanoic capric 31 268 — 224

11 undecanoic — 29 284 — 123⁹

12 dodecanoic lauric 44 299 5 262

13 tridecanoic — 45 312 6 90¹

14 tetradecanoic myristic 54 — 19 129²

15 pentadecanoic — 53 — 18 141³

16 hexadecanoic palmitic 63 — 31 148²

17 heptadecanoic margaric 63 — 30 —

18 octadecanoic stearic 70 — 39 —

19 nonadecanoic — 69 — 39 —

20 eicosanoic arachidic 77 — 46 —

21 heneicosanoic — 82 — 49 —

22 docosanoic behenic 81 — 54 —

23 tricosanoic — 79 — 53 —

24 tetracosanoic lignoceric 88 — 60 —

25 pentacosanoic — 84 — 61 —

26 hexacosanoic cerotic 88 — 64 —

27 heptacosanoic — 82 — 64 —

28 octacosanoic montanic 90 — 67 —

29 nonacosanoic — 90 — 69 —

30 triacontanoic melissic 94 — 72 —

*Boiling point at 760 millimetres unless at 1, 2, 3, or 9 millimetres as indicated by superscript.