Identification of minor cyclic fatty acids in fractionated tall oil

The structure of several minor cyclic fatty acids present in Finnish tall oil fatty acids are elucidated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The origin and mechanism of formation of these cyclic fatty acids are discussed. The cyclic fatty acids identified in tall oil fatty acids are: 4-(5-pentyl-3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-4-indanyl)butanoic acid,ω-(o-alkylphenyl)alkanoic acid, 2,6-dimethyl-9-(3-isopropylphenyl)-6-nonenoic acid, 4-(5-pentyl-4-indanyl)butanoic acid, and 4-(2-hexyl-1,2,4a,5,6,7,8,8a-octahydro-1-naphthyl)butanoic acid. In addition, three different branched or cyclic unsaturated C₁₉ fatty acids are reported to be present in tall oil.