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Context: Contrary to other ocean basins, Indian Ocean catches have increased consistently since 1950, although reported data are known to be incomplete. Fish is a crucial food source in the Indian Ocean; however, ineffective management often empowers over-exploitation. Aims: We synthesised and reviewed Indian Ocean reconstructed catch and effort data by fishing sector and fishing country at the ocean-basin scale. Methods: We aggregated reported and reconstructed unreported catch and effort data for the Indian Ocean and derived catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) time-series by sector. Key results: Indian Ocean rim country catches dominated in the Indian Ocean. Small-scale catches in the Indian Ocean have grown continuously by over 300% from 1.9 × 106 tonnes (Mg) year−1 in 1950 to 6.5 × 106 tonnes year−1 by 2018. By contrast, total industrial catches from the Indian Ocean have reached a plateau at ~8.5 × 106 tonnes year−1 since the late 1990s, after having steadily risen from very low levels in the early 1960s. Unreported catches declined from 45 to 25% of total catches. Total fishing effort, driven by the industrial sector, has increased 30-fold since 1950 from 0.4 × 109 to 11 × 109 kW-days by 2010, whereas CPUE has declined 78%, with steeper declines in the small-scale (>80% since 1950) than in the industrial sector (65% from its 1981 peak). Conclusions: The different sectoral patterns in the Indian Ocean compared with other ocean basins are likely to be due to the region's high dependence on small-scale fisheries and the later onset but swift growth of industrial fishing. The declining CPUE suggests strong decreases in stock biomass caused by strongly increasing fishing effort, especially in the industrial sector. Implications: Indian Ocean countries should prioritise lower-impact well-managed domestic small-scale fisheries to maximise long-term, sustainable nutrient supply for local livelihoods. Fisheries catches in the Indian Ocean have increased consistently since 1950, in contrast to declines observed in other oceans. Small-scale fisheries, accounting for 40% of catches, have grown consistently since 1950, whereas industrial fisheries have flatlined since the late 1990s, despite strongly growing fishing intensity. Indian Ocean countries dominate catches, whereas distant water fleets from other areas of the world account for a much small share. The combination of slowly growing catches despite strongly increasing fishing intensity suggests declining fish abundances, reinforcing sustainability concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All clinicians, whether in primary or secondary care settings, are likely to encounter patients on this new anticoagulant. Therefore, it is imperative that clinicians are aware of the risks and benefits associated with dabigatran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All clinicians, whether in primary or secondary care settings, are likely to encounter patients on this new anticoagulant. Therefore, it is imperative that clinicians are aware of the risks and benefits associated with dabigatran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, are described a series of tests that have been undertaken to elucidate the effects of geometry, material properties and reinforcement location on the flexural properties of laminated veneer lumber. The fracture modes are found to be a function of the properties and location of the reinforcement and ultimately the strength of bonding between the components. The use of high modulus reinforcements is beneficial to enhancing the stiffness of laminated veneer lumber, whereas lower stiffness reinforcements are beneficial for the enhancement of strength. Lowered fractions of rod and plate reinforcement are as beneficial as higher fractions of rod and plate reinforcement in reinforcing timber, provided they are judiciously positioned in the timber and have a stable bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional method for producing polymer-based products is the use of moulding technologies such as injection moulding. CNC machining methods are predominantly used for metal part manufacture. The use of CNC machining methods for direct machining of polymers has been discussed in previous studies, particularly for hard polymers such as polypropylene. The CNC machining of soft elastomers, such as ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), even at significantly reduced temperatures presents a number of challenges, with one being the formation of a machining phenomenon termed adiabatic shear bands, which can lead to increased part surface roughness and reduced part quality. The adiabatic shear band is an area on a chip where the ductile properties of the material being machined have been exceeded and the heat generated does not have sufficient time to be removed. This can lead to permanent material damage resulting in reduced fatigue resistance. The adiabatic shear formation has the potential to be even more evident with the machining of elastomers, leading to rapid material degradation, poor surface finish characteristics, and reduced material attenuation. In this paper the state of the art in cryogenic manufacturing is described and the concept of cryogenic CNC machining of elastomers is discussed. The experimental work consists of machining EVA and Neoprene utilizing the described cryogenic CNC machining facility. Sample chips are taken from the experimental testing and analysed using a scanning electron microscope to illustrate the adiabatic shear band formation in some cases. It is observed that in order to reduce this effect, correct machining parameters corresponding to the elasticity values need to be used and the glass transition temperature needs to be maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

By using surface-treated and untreated henequen fibres and an epoxy resin, composites were made by compression moulding, and their mechanical properties and failure modes were determined experimentally in tension, bending, and impact loading. The results obtained show that the treatment of fibre surface does not improve the bond between the fibres and the resin matrix, and the general mechanical properties of the composites are similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the demographics and treatment of facial lacerations occurring in a paediatric patient cohort. We undertook a prospective study of 106 children who sustained a soft tissue facial injury and who presented to an Accident and Emergency department in a UK district general hospital supporting a population of 750,000. Approximately 31,000 are dependent children between the age of 0-12 years. Our results show that the majority of paediatric patients who sustained a facial laceration were male (62%). The frequency of this injury was greatest amongst males across all age groups. The majority of children above 3 years of age sustained their injury outdoors. The peak time for injury varied for different age groups. The 0-3 year olds sustained the highest incidence of injuries around 17:00 h. A bi-modal time pattern was seen in the 4-6 year age group, initially at 12:00 h with a second peak at 17:00 h. The most frequent aetiology was play. A significant finding was that 8% of the injuries that were managed resulted from a dog bite. Almost 50% of children above 4 years of age, who required primary closure of their laceration, were able to tolerate their treatment being performed under local anaesthesia. The pattern of facial lacerations in our study supports the results of previous studies. Our data has provided further insight into the presentation of these injuries. These studies are valuable in targeted injury prevention programmes aimed at potentially reducing the nature, incidence and severity of facial soft tissue trauma in children in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Results of an experimental investigation into the thermal behavior and mechanical properties of a room-temperature-cured epoxy adhesive (diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A, DGEBA) cross-linked with polyetheramines and filled with different fillers, namely nanosilica, liquid rubber (CTBN), and clay, are reported. The nanosilica and liquid rubber increased the flexural strength and elastic modulus of the adhesive systems; the addition of clay particles raised the elastic modulus significantly, but embrittled the adhesive. Establishing a correct cure time is very important for bonded-in timber structures, as it will affect the bond strength. A study on the effect of cure time on the flexural strength was carried out, from which it follows that the adhesives should be cured for at least 20 days at room temperature. The damping characteristics and the glass-transition temperature of the adhesives were determined by using a dynamic mechanical thermal analysis. The results showed that the filled adhesives had a higher storage modulus, which was in agreement with the elastic moduli determined from static bending tests. The introduction of the fillers increased its glass-transition temperature considerably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tensile strength and Young’s modulus of sisal fibre bundles were determined following alkalisation. The results were then analysed with respect to the diameter and internal structure such as cellulose content, crystallinity index and micro-fibril angle. The tensile strength and stiffness were found to vary with varying concentration of caustic soda, which also had a varying effect on the cell wall morphological structure such as the primary wall and secondary wall. The optimum tensile strength and Young’s modulus were obtained at 0.16% NaOH by weight. The stiffness of the sisal fibre bundles obtained using the cellulose content also referred to as the micro-fibril content was compared with the stiffness determined using the crystallinity index. The stiffness obtained using the crystallinity index was found to be higher than that obtained using the cellulose content however, the difference was insignificant. Alkalisation was found to change the internal structure of sisal fibres that exhibited specific stiffness that was approximately the same as that of steel. These results indicates that the structure of sisal fibre can be chemically modified to attain properties that will make the fibre useful as a replacement for synthetic fibres where high stiffness requirement is not a pre-requisite and that it can be used as a reinforcement for the manufacture of composite materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study a thorough analysis of physical and fine structure of hemp fibre bundles, namely surface topography, diameter, cellulose content and crystallinity index, have been presented. The fibre bundles have been alkalised and physical and mechanical properties analysed. Alkalisation was found to change the surface topography of fibre bundles and the diameter decreased with increased concentration of caustic soda. Cellulose content increase slightly at lower NaOH concentrations and decrease at higher NaOH concentrations. The crystallinity index decrease with increase in caustic soda concentration up to 0.24% NaOH beyond which, it decreases with increase in NaOH concentration. It was also found that the tensile strength and stiffness increases with increase in the concentration of NaOH up to a limit. Tensile strength and Young’s modulus increase with decrease in cellulose content, while crystalline cellulose decreases slightly but with improved crystalline packing order resulting in increased mechanical properties. Similar observations are elucidated by the crystallinity index. Alkalised hemp fibre bundles were found to exhibit a similar specific stiffness to steel, E-glass and Kevlar 29 fibres. The results also show that crystallinity index obtained following alkalisation has a reverse correlation to the mechanical properties. Stiffer alkalised hemp fibre bundles are suitable candidates as reinforcements to replace synthetic fibres. The improvement in mechanical properties of alkali treated hemp fibre bundles confirms their use as reinforcement materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between resolution of images and measurement of fiber orientation in oriented strand board with the ultimate aim of optimising the fiber orientation and quality of the manufactured product. An important consideration has been the capture of images from a distance of 2 meters corresponding to conditions on an OSB production line. In this paper, Filtered Image Analysis (FIA) was used to measure fiber orientation at different resolutions, and results were compared with those for strand grid models. These grid models were adopted to investigate how the FIA technique measures orientation. A two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) analysis was also investigated as a comparative method for measuring fiber orientation. The following conclusions can be drawn: the FFT analysis measures the periodicity of lines and indicates the orientation of lines. The FIA measures the orientation of zones surrounded by lines and shows the orientation of the zones. Hence, the FFT analysis and the FIA analysis measure orientation differently. Both methods are able to measure the fiber orientation of the OSB from a high resolution image. In addition the FIA technique could also measure the fiber orientation from low-resolution images and from a distance of 2 meters. In conclusion, whilst the FFT method is able to analyse high resolution images successfully, the FIA method is superior for analysing low resolution images and the orientation of OSB strands under production condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood-based panels used as floor decking can be exposed to fatigue as well as creep loading. The strength and fatigue performances of three wood-based panel products OSB, chipboard and MDF have been determined in four-point bending. The mean bending strengths were found to decrease in the following order MDF>OSB>chipboard. The bending strength variation within the OSB was considerably greater than that for chipboard and MDF. Normalised with respect to the static strengths, the fatigue performance of the chipboard was superior to that of the OSB, although the two materials have very similar performances at low stress levels. Normalised with respect to the static strengths, the fatigue performance of the MDF was inferior to both materials and at lower stress levels the fatigue performance deteriorated to a greater extent. However, in terms of absolute applied stress, the fatigue performance of the MDF was superior to that of the OSB, which was superior to that of the chipboard. However, as the stress was reduced the difference between the three materials reduced. At low stresses the performances of the three materials were quite similar. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orientation of oriented strand board (OSB) mats has been practically measured on a commercial factory production line to demonstrate the practical capabilities of the filtered image analysis (FIA) technique. Samples have been cut from OSB panels at a range of angles to the panel axis and these samples have been tested in bending. The factory data and the experimental data have been compared in order to investigate the relationship between the practical condition of fiber orientation in the factory and the bending properties as a function of orientation. The following conclusions can be drawn. Fiber orientation in the production line is good and stable irrespective of position across the width of the production line, time of day and changing line speed. The average value for the orientation angle of the forming mat on the production line is approximately 25°. The general shape of the fiber orientation distribution is similar to a normal distribution, however, at the centre of the fiber mat the sharpness of the distribution is greater than a normal distribution. The average orientations of fibers in commercial board lie at 25° and 60° to the longitudinal and perpendicular directions, respectively. The results suggest that there is potential to improve the mean fiber orientation angle of commercial OSB to improve longitudinal values of MOR and MOE, especially where perpendicular properties are not critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the arrangement of wood strands at the surface of oriented strand board (OSB) by image analysis. Two-dimensional image analysis enables the number of strands and the area of each strand to be computed. In addition, the fiber direction of each strand may be measured manually by recording the acute angle between the fiber direction and the longitudinal axis of the specimen. The image analysis results suggest the following: the average strand area is proportional to the reciprocal of the number of strands. Samples containing many smaller strands exhibit a larger variation in strand size. The average strand area does not correlate with the distribution of the strand area represented by the coefficient of variation. However, there is a reasonable correlation between the number of smaller strands in the range 0 to 1 cm2 and the coefficient of variation of strand area. At low average fiber orientations, i.e. better orientation with the principal panel axis, there is smaller variability in orientation. The upper side and lower side of OSB exhibit a different relationship between average fiber orientation and strand area. The upper side of the specimens contains larger strands and exhibits better fiber orientation than the lower side. This is thought to be a function of the production process. The lower side strands fall on a smooth moving substrate, whereas the upper side strands fall on a stable substrate of strands. The number of strands is lower on the upper side of the OSB panel because small size strands tend to migrate to the lower side of the OSB during production. The small particles tend to be vibrated through the strand mat to the lower face before pressing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the arrangement of wood strands at the surface of oriented strand board (OSB) and the modulus of rupture (MOR) determined by applying the technique of image analysis (IA). Fiber orientation was measured manually. In addition a CCD (charge coupled device) digital camera was used to automatically measure the fiber orientation at the surface of OSB. The total number of OSB samples evaluated was equal to 55, but variation in density was small and the coefficient of variation was only 4%. In contrast, the variation in MOR is wide and the coefficient of variation is 17%. Thus, the variation in density of OSB does not reflect variations in MOR. The relationship between the MOR and the average angle of fiber orientation resulted in a weak negative correlation (r=−0.44) as might be expected, as better axial orientation should improve MOR. The average strand area gave no correlation with MOR. Clearly, large strands which should enhance MOR may be heavily disoriented, whereas small strands which have less influence on the MOR might be well oriented. Hence no correlation between MOR and average strand area is observed. The prediction of MOR by using a multiple linear regression equation including density and fiber orientation factors is only moderately successful. Hence another factor must be identified to predict MOR accurately. The CCD camera measures fiber orientation at the OSB surface effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fatigue and creep performance of MDF, OSB and chipboard have been examined in two environments, namely 65%RH (standard environment) and 85%RH (high humidity). Parallel fatigue and creep tests have been performed in four-point bending on the three wood-based panel products in the two environments. The constant 65%RH environment is service class 1 and the constant 85% RH environment is indicative of a service class 2 environment as detailed in Eurocode 5. The non-interruptive technique of stress-strain hysteresis loop capture has been utilised to follow property changes of the fatigue samples during cyclic loading at a stress ratio of R equal to 0.1. Loop parameters such as loop area, dynamic modulus, and fatigue modulus have been used to characterise the response of these materials to fatigue loads in the two environments. Creep microstrains for the creep samples were recorded in parallel with the fatigue parameters. Fatigue and creep results at 85%RH were more variable than those reported at 65%RH for MDF, OSB and chipboard. In general, at R=0.1 and 85%RH, fatigue and creep microstrains were higher, dynamic stiffnesses were lower and hysteresis loop areas were higher than corresponding properties measured at 65%RH. MDF and chipboard were less moisture tolerant than OSB, this is reflected in the large changes in fatigue and creep parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The static strength, stiffness and fatigue life of MDF, OSB and chipboard have been measured in a 65%RH environment and a 85%RH environment. Chipboard is commonly utilised as a flooring material and OSB is also used in structural applications, for example floor decking and webs of I-beams. The mean static strengths of MDF, OSB and chipboard at 65%RH were 47.9 MPa, 27.9 MPa and 21.0Mpa, respectively, compared with 34.59 MPa, 21.70 MPa and 10.61 MPa at 85%RH. However, MDF has mostly been used in non-structural applications, such as furniture, so its resistance to fatigue loads as a structural panel is of considerable interest. In a 65%RH environment dynamic modulus values showed that whilst MDF and chipboard exhibit similar stiffness values (4 GPa), OSB is approximately 50% stiffer. However, at 85%RH MDF was the stiffest of the three materials, followed by OSB and chipboard. The fatigue life performance of all three panel products was markedly lower at 85%RH compared with 65%RH. Overall, the high RH environment had a noticeably detrimental effect on the MOE (modulus of elasticity), MOR (modulus of rupture) and fatigue lives of OSB and chipboard. This is attributed to these panels retaining more of the original characteristics of the original wood, i.e. larger particle sizes (flakes/chips) compared with the homogeneous fibrous composition of MDF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) is a naturally occurring chemical monomer consisting four alkyl substituted phenols. Its phenolic nature makes it suitable for polymerisation into resins by formaldehyde using sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as a catalyst and hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) employed as a hardener. There is intense interest in understanding the cure characteristics and properties of CNSL-based resins. In this work the DSC technique has been applied to study the change in the glass transition temperature of the oven-cured resin with and without HMTA in order to monitor the extent of cure. The glass transition temperature was found to rise when the alkaline catalysed resin was subjected to higher curing temperatures regardless of the concentration of formaldehyde used. The mode of cure of the NaOH-catalysed CNSL-formaldehyde resin has been found to be more regular with HMTA hardener. FT-IR spectroscopy has been used to study the neat CNSL and polymerised CNSL-formaldehyde resin with and without HMTA. The use of the DSC and FT-IR techniques to elucidate the extent of cure of CNSL resins is a valuable step towards the production of commercially successful CNSL-natural fibre composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The following paper summarises a number of international research projects being undertaken to understand the mechanical properties of natural cellulose fibres and composite materials. In particular the use of novel techniques, such as Raman spectroscopy, synchrotron x-ray and half-fringe photoelastic methods of measuring the physical and micromechanical properties of cellulose fibres is reported. Current single fibre testing procedures are also reviewed with emphasis on the end-use in papermaking. The techniques involved in chemically modifying fibres to improve interfacial adhesion in composites are also reviewed, and the use of novel fibre sources such as bacterial and animal cellulose. It is found that there is overlap in current international research into this area, and that there are complementary approaches and therefore further combining of these may make further progress possible. In particular a need to measure locally the adhesion properties and deformation processes of fibres in composites, with different chemical treatments, ought to be a focus of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wood-epoxy laminates were subjected to constant amplitude fatigue tests in tension-tension ( R = 0.1), compression-compression ( R = 10) and reverse loading ( R = −1) in order to follow property changes and fatigue damage accumulation. Hysteresis loops were captured during these tests and the form of stress versus number of cycles to failure ( S- N) curves was established. Reversed loading is the most damaging mode of cyclic stress application. In terms of static strengths, the wood laminate is weaker in compression than in tension. However at low levels of stress, following many fatigue cycles, the fatigue life is greater in compression-compression than in tension-tension. The shape of captured hysteresis loops is strongly influenced by loading mode. As subcritical damage develops, loop area increases and dynamic modulus falls. In reversed loading, loop bending and distortion is observed depending on whether the damage is tension- or compression-dominated or both. Maximum and minimum fatigue strains, the dynamic modulus and loop area have been plotted as a function of the number of fatigue cycles. The majority of damage occurs towards the end of the sample life but property changes can be detected throughout fatigue tests. Normalisation of fatigue data demonstrates that the fatigue behaviour of wood-epoxy laminates is consistent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polycsier-fibre fabrics coated with PVC (poly(vinyl chloride)) are commonly used as architectural tension-structure membranes, but they have a limited lifetime of approximately ten years. Fibre and coating embrittlement occurs, particularly in hot, moist environments. In order to elucidate fibre-breakdown processes, coated-fabric samples were subjected to accelerated weathering by boiling in distilled water. Tensile stress strain characteristics show a progressive embrittlement of the polyester (poly(ethylene terephthylate)) fibres and coating, confirmed by electron micrographs of fracture morphology. A characteristic 'stake-and-socket' fracture is observed after five weeks' exposure, which is marked by the appearance of two endothermic DSC (differential scanning calorimeter) peaks. lt is proposed that boiling initially increases the crystallinity and brittleness of the polyester fibres before hydrolysis/oxidation leads to disruption of the polyester molecules and a reduction in their crystallinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural grade chipboard used as floor decking can be exposed to a combination of creep loading, and fatigue loading at a wide range of frequencies. Creep loads are produced by static masses such as machinery. Fatigue loads arise from intermittent loads such as fork lift trucks in motion, people in motion, or vibrating machinery. Four-point bend tests in fatigue and creep have been performed simultaneously on matched sets of four structural grade chipboard samples. The aim was to examine the effect of frequency on the fatigue performance of chipboard by following the rate of microstrain development in each case at the same peak stress. The ratio of the minimum to the maximum fatigue stress (the R ratio) was set at R = 0.1. Fatigue tests were performed at three different frequencies classified as low, medium and high, determined by the rate of application of stress. The performance of chipboard in flooring applications is shown to be highly dependent on the loading frequency. Increasing the frequency increased the number of cycles to failure as did reducing the stress level. Using hysteresis loop capture to monitor damage accumulation during testing indicates that there is a fatigue limit for chipboard loaded at constant amplitude at some point just below 20% of its static bending strength. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural grade chipboard was subjected to fatigue and creep loads in four-point bending, the peak fatigue stress being equal to the constant creep stress. Peak fatigue stresses of 50, 60, 70 and 80% of the static bend strength were selected and an S-N (stress versus log (cycles)) curve was generated. Stress versus strain hysteresis loops were captured automatically throughout fatigue tests so that underlying creep strain, dynamic modulus and energy dissipated per cycle were continuously monitored. The possibility of superimposing creep and fatigue data was investigated. The S-N curve generated at R = 0.01 demonstrates that for lives of less than 10 cycles chipboard does not show a fatigue endurance limit. The 70 and 80% samples experience a gradual decrease in dynamic modulus and an increase in the area of the hysteresis loop during fatigue tests. Samples at the 50 and 60% levels show an initial increase in dynamic modulus before a decline to failure is observed. Creep samples never failed before fatigue samples at the same peak stress level, but until close to the point of failure, creep strains were nearly always greater than fatigue strains on elapsed time. It is concluded that the mechanism of fatigue damage accumulation differs from the mechanism of creep deformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acoustic emission (AE) monitoring is a non-destructive testing technique widely used to detect flaw development and crack propagation in metals, ceramics, polymers and composite materials. This paper relates the AE-strain characteristics from three softwoods tested in tension to mechanisms of deformation observed by scanning electron microscopy. All wood specimens are identical in size and radial-longitudinal in orientation, enabling the path of failure through planes of earlywood and latewood to be examined. It is found that the proportion of earlywood to latewood in each species has a marked effect on the shape of the AE-strain curves. Parana pine, containing very few latewood tracheids, exhibits a close to linear relationship between log cumulative emissions and strain until close to failure when the count rate increases rapidly. Douglas-fir, which has well-defined earlywood-latewood boundaries generates many AEs at low strain and there is greater variation in the shape of the AE characteristic between samples. Parana pine and Douglas-fir are tested at 20 °C (12.5 % EMC). Scots pine is also stressed at 20°C (12.5%EMC), 20°C (0.7%EMC) and 80°C (0.7%EMC), to assess the effect of moisture content on AE. Values of Young's modulus, stress at failure and work of fracture for the three softwoods are compared with the AE-strain data. Although the work of fracture is related to the total AEs to failure, no direct proportionality exists between the two parameters. Finally, the AE-strain data for plywood and glass-reinforced plastic (GRP), both man-made composite materials, are compared with those of wood, the natural composite material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mass spectra of methyl 3-, 4- and 5-phenyl pentanoates, and all the straight-chain methyl phenylnonanoates have been recorded. The major fragmentation patterns have been discussed; when the phenyl group is non-terminal, cleavage was observed at the branching position. It is shown that a mixture of methyl 3-, 4- and 5-phenylpentanoates may be analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively by mass spectrometry; in a methyl phenylnonanoate mixture a similar analysis is possible with the exception of the 8- and 9-phenyl isomers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]