The adhesion between metal plate(Cu, Zn, and Cu/Zn) and rubber compound, and the degradation processes were studied by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Copper sulfide layer was formed at the interface through the reaction of copper plate and sulfur in rubber compound, but copper plate didn’t adhere to rubber compound because copper sulfide layer was separated from copper plate. Zinc plate did not show good adhesion to rubber compound, because the formation rate of zinc sulfide layer at the interface was too slow. Brass plate strongly adhered to rubber compound. Excellent adhesion can be interpreted in terms of fast formation of copper sulfide layer at the interface, but excessive growth of the layer is controlled by the presence of metallic zinc. The adhesion between brass plate and rubber compound was severely deteriorated after hot wate aging, and similar results were found for the adhesion of zinc plate after salt solution aging. The degradation of adhesion was also discussed in related to chemical composition and phenomenological deformation at the interface.