Over the last decade, or so, the growth in the use of adhesives, especially in ever more technically demanding applications, has been rapid and many major developments in the technology of adhesives have been reported. This growth has also led to attention being focused on somewhat more basic studies of the science of adhesion and adhesives, and in recent years our level of fundamental knowledge concerning the formation and mechanical performance of adhesive joints has increased dramatically. Such studies have, of course, been aided greatly by the development of the tools at the disposal of...