The friction, wear, and lubrication of machinery and power systems are several major characteristics that attract the attention of scholars in the field of surface engineering. As one of the important mechanical components in the internal combustion engine, the friction loss of the piston ring accounts for 26% of the total friction loss of the internal combustion engine. Therefore, the selection of piston ring materials and their surface treatment research are of great significance for improving the performance and efficiency of internal combustion engines and extending their service life. The work aims to introduce and summarize the commonly used materials and their development trends for internal combustion engine piston rings. Currently, cast iron and steel are mainly used as production and manufacturing materials for piston rings. Due to the inherent characteristics of the materials, the research and development of new materials has always been an important topic. In addition, the focus is placed on the research status of laser surface texture technology, surface coating technology, and surface composite technology in the friction reduction and wear resistance of internal combustion engine piston rings. Among them, laser surface texture technology (LST) has good controllability and convenient processing, which can prepare micro shapes on the surface of piston rings that can accept wear debris and maintain the effect of oil film, thereby reducing surface friction and wear. At the same time, the application research progress of LST in piston ring cylinder liner is reviewed from two aspects: texture morphology characteristics and geometric parameter characteristics. As for the surface coating technology, the research on the surface strengthening treatment of piston rings represented by chromium plating, thermal spraying, vapor deposition and laser cladding is discussed. Among them, chromium plating treatment is the most common application, but the chromium plating layer is prone to fragmentation and detachment, posing great harm to human health and the environment. Secondly, thermal spraying technology represented by HVOF and APS is an important method for piston ring surface strengthening and repair. However, at present, thermal spraying coating still has defects such as pores, cracks, easy peeling, etc. In addition, the high energy consumption in the spraying process limits its popularization and application to a certain extent. Vapor deposition technology effectively improves the wear resistance of piston rings by coating them with a ceramic film, but the thickness of the film limits its load-bearing capacity. Laser cladding is a newly emerging surface engineering technology and its research and application in piston ring materials is discussed from two aspects: cladding system and process parameters. In addition, by reasonably combining a variety of surface treatment technologies, such as plasma electrolytic oxidation and electrophoretic deposition, ultrasonic rolling and ion nitriding, complementary advantages and synergistic effects can be achieved, thus effectively improving the friction performance of the contact surface, which opens up a new idea for the research on friction reduction and life extension of piston rings. Finally, some prospects are made for the development and application of piston ring materials in the future, as well as the research and development of friction reduction and wear resistance. © 2024 Chongqing Wujiu Periodicals Press. All rights reserved.
