The trans octadecenoic acid methyl ester isomers were obtained from a partially hydrogenated soybean oil sample and isolated by silver-ion high-performance liquid chromatography. The double bond configuration was confirmed to be trans by using gas chromatography-direct deposition-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The double bond positions for nine individual trans octadecenoic acid positional isomers were confirmed by gas chromatography-electron ionization mass spectrometry after derivatization to 2-alkenyl-4,4-dimethyloxazoline. These nine trans positional isomers were resolved on either one of the two polar 100% cyanopropylpolysiloxane 100-m capillary columns, SP 2560 and Cp-Sil 88, at an isothermal temperature of 140°C. These nine isomers were confirmed to have double bonds at carbons C-8 through C-16. The pair of trans octadecenoic acid positional isomers with double bonds at C-13 and C-14 are reported for the first time to be resolved by gas chromatography. JAOCS 74, 125-130 (1997).KEY WORDS: 4,4-Dimethyl oxazoline (DMOX), direct deposition, trans double bonds, fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), gas chromatography, infrared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, monounsaturated fatty acids, positional isomers. FIG. 4. GC-EIMS spectra observed for the ∆8, ∆9, and ∆10 trans 18:1 DMOX positional isomers; a gap of 12 mass units was observed between the pairs of adjacent ions at m/z 182 and 194; 196 and 208; and 210 and 222, respectively; the ions due to allylic cleavage were found at m/z 168, 222, and 236; 182, 236, and 250; and 196, 250, and 264, respectively. See Figure 3 for abbreviations. 130 M.M. MOSSOBA ET AL. JAOCS, Vol. 74, no. 2 (1997) FIG. 6. GC-EIMS spectra for ∆6 and ∆7 trans 18:1 DMOX positional isomer standards. The inset shows the m/z 113 chromatographic trace observed for a co-injected qualitative test mixture of these two standards. See Figure 3 for abbreviations.