ABSTRACT
Adhesion research has made use of surface analysis since the mid-1970s, but by the end of that decade there were, perhaps, only two or three research groups worldwide that had a strong presence in
both adhesion and surface analysis. By the end of the following decade, the situation had changed signi cantly and surface analysis was then seen to feature prominently in adhesion conferences and journals. This change was partly a result of the wider availability of surface analysis equipment, and also re ected a shift in emphasis of the adhesion community. It was no longer acceptable merely to report performance data for the plethora of systems available, but there was now a requirement to consider interfacial chemistry, of both the adhesion process and the locus of failure, in rather more detail, and to relate relevant parameters back to the performance of an adhesive joint or organic coating.
