Abstract
The mass spectral data from nearly 150 aliphatic esters have been correlated. A few simple rules and formulas have been devised which make it possible for anyone with a basic understanding of organic chemistry to identify any volatile straight-chained aliphatic ester from its mass spectrum. The procedure based on the simple rules has been written in a manner which could easily be converted to an algorithm for computerized identifications. A number of checks are provided which enable the analyst to confirm identifications.
