This symposium will be the sixth in a series the first of which was held in Newark, NJ in 1999.  In a relatively small but significant departure from the previous symposia, this symposium will be concerned not only with the well established polyimides but also the entire range of high temperature/high performance polymers.  As a loose definition this would include all polymeric materials which exhibit thermal stability above 200 C and in addition have outstanding thermal, mechanical, electrical, optical, surface and rheological properties.  An example would be the Poly(p-phenylene benzobisoxazole) materials and Carbon Nanotube composites.  These materials exhibit exceptional thermal, mechanical and electrical properties.  Other examples would include the entire range of rigid rod polymers as well as fluorinated hydrocarbon chains that can exhibit extraordinary surface properties.  Of all these materials the polyimides have found the widest range of application in such diverse areas as the aerospace industry and microelectronic components.  The unique combination of physical and chemical properties make these materials highly attractive for demanding applications where chemical inertness,  high temperature stability, low ?dielectric constant, mechanical toughness and processability are primary concerns.  In addition, their ability to adhere to a range of inorganic materials including metals, ceramics, glasses and semiconductors have made these materials predominant in coating and composite applications.  In this regard the issue of adhesion and interaction with other materials will be one of the major focal points of this symposium.

It is also our pleasure to announce that this symposium will be held in collaboration with Prof. Gordon Nelson of the Florida Institute of Technology and Dr. Martha Williams and Trent Smith of the NASA Kennedy Space Center.  These individuals have been active in the area of high temperature polymers especially in regard to aerospace applications.  The invited speakers have been selected so as to represent widely differing disciplines and interests, and they hail from academic, governmental and industrial research laboratories. This meeting is planned to be a truly international event both in geographic coverage as well as in spirit.