The U. S. Army Materials Research Agency has conducted the Saga­ more Army Materials Research Conferences, in cooperation with the Metallurgical Research Laboratories of the Department of Chemical En­ gineering and Metallurgy of Syracuse University, since 1954. The pur­ pose of the conferences has been to gather together scientists and engi­ neers from academic institutions, industry, and government who are uniquely qualified to explore in depth a subject of importance to the Army and the Department of Defenseo The subject of the Thirteenth Sagamore Army Materials Research Con­ ference, "Surfaces and Interfaces I: Chemical and Physical Characteris­ tics," was chosen from a substantial number of possible topics because scientists in the Army responsible for materials research, the conference committee, and the participants believed that much good would result from a detailed analysis of: the knowledge and role of surfaces, including their fundamental characteristics; the role of adsorption and adhesion; and the kinetics, both of exterior surfaces and interfaces. This informa­ tion should aid immeasurably in leading the way to vastly improved mate­ rials, vitally essential if progress is to be made in structures having improved performance. The wisdom of selecting a topic concerned with surfaces and inter­ faces is substantiated by the papers presented in this publication.