Ron Duncan served as Vice President of Palm International, Inc., where he led the company’s technical and educational initiatives. Prior to joining Palm, he was Director of Research at Elnic, Inc., focusing on electroless nickel formulation and materials research.

Before entering the metal finishing industry, Ron spent 12 years in the oil sector with Exxon and Caltex Petroleum Corporations, tackling materials and corrosion challenges. His work took him across the globe—including the United States, Middle East, Europe, South America, and Africa—where he developed a reputation for his deep expertise and practical problem-solving.

Ron held a BE in Mechanical and Metallurgical Engineering from Vanderbilt University. He was a Registered Professional Engineer and a certified Corrosion Specialist through NACE. A leader in technical standards, he chaired NACE task groups T-1G-19 and T-6A-53, contributing to authoritative reports on electroless nickel and other metallic coatings. He also served on the AESF’s Electroless Committee.

Throughout his distinguished career, Ron authored more than fifty technical papers on corrosion, coatings, and electroless nickel. His work appeared in Materials Performance, Plating and Surface Finishing, Metals Progress, Products Finishing, and Finishers Management, as well as in numerous industry conferences. He was the principal author of the electroless nickel chapter in Volume 5 of the Metals Handbook and was honored with the AESF Gold Medal in 1996 for the best paper published in Plating and Surface Finishing.

Ron also directed the Electroless Nickel School, a comprehensive four-day seminar presented by Palm, which educated professionals in all aspects of electroless nickel technology.

Ron Duncan passed away on December 15, 2006. He is deeply missed by his family, colleagues, and the broader surface finishing community. His legacy of innovation, mentorship, and integrity continues to inspire all who had the privilege of working with him.