The "surface phase" in polymer systems is of enormous scientific and technical importance. Bonding of interfaces (weldability), friction and wear behaviour, and chemical stability depend on the structure and properties of the surface phase, but polymer science has not yet succeeded in developing a comprehensive approach to characterize and study it. This proposal requests support to expend the use of ion beams and neutron and xray scattering to probe the distribution and conformation of polymer species near surfaces so as to understand how to describe and control the behaviour of the surface phase.
