This volume contains a series of papers originally presented at the symposium on Water Soluble Polymers: Solution Properties and Applications, sponsored by the Division of Colloids and Surface Chemistry of the American Chemical Society. The symposium took place in Las Vegas City, Nevada on 9 to 11th September, 1997 at the 214th American Chemical Society National Meeting. Recognized experts in their - spective fields were invited to speak. There was a strong attendance from academia, g- ernment, and industrial research centers. The purpose of the symposium was to present and discuss recent developments in the solution properties of water soluble polymers and their applications in aqueous systems. Water soluble polymers find applications in a number of fields of which the following may be worth mentioning: cosmetics, detergent, oral care, industrial water treatment, g- thermal, wastewater treatment, water purification and reuse, pulp and paper production, sugar refining, and many more. Moreover, water soluble polymers play vital role in the oil industry, especially in enhanced oil recovery. Water soluble polymers are also used in ag- culture and controlled release pharmaceutical applications. Therefore, a fundamental kno- edge of solution properties of these polymers is essential for most industrial scientists. An understanding of the basic phenomena involved in the application of these polymers, such as adsorption and interaction with different substrates (i. e. , tooth enamel, hair, reverse - mosis membrane, heat exchanger surfaces, etc. ) is of vital importance in developing high performance formulations for achieving optimum efficiency of the system.