Study of tribological behaviour of surface modified stainless-steel using recurrence quantification analysis and principal component analysis

In tribological studies, one of the main challenges is the proper identification of the prevalent wear phenomena that affect the mating pair of materials. In surface-modified materials, it is particularly difficult to identify the onset of wear-induced damage of the protective film. In this paper, an example of successful application of Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) on two tribological signals: coefficient of friction (COF) and electrical contact resistance (ECR), is presented. Based on the results provided, with the use of RQA and PCA, it is possible to identify the prevalent wear modes of a tribological pair, as well as to spot the transition between chaotic and periodic friction.