With the rapid development of the advanced manufacturing industry, equipment requirements are becoming increasingly stringent. Since metallic materials often present failure problems resulting from wear due to extreme service conditions, researchers have developed various methods to improve their properties. Laser shock peening (LSP) is a highly efficacious mechanical surface modification technique utilized to enhance the microstructure of the near-surface layer of metallic materials, which improves mechanical properties such as wear resistance and solves failure problems. In this work, we summarize the fundamental principles of LSP and laser-induced plasma shock waves, along with the development of this technique. In addition, exemplary cases of LSP treatment used for wear resistance improvement in metallic materials of various nature, including conventional metallic materials, laser additively manufactured parts, and laser cladding coatings, are outlined in detail. We further discuss the mechanism by which the microhardness enhancement, grain refinement, and beneficial residual stress are imparted to metallic materials by using LSP treatment, resulting in a significant improvement in wear resistance. This work serves as an important reference for researchers to further explore the fundamentals and the metallic material wear resistance enhancement mechanism of LSP.
Keywords: conventional metallic materials; laser additively manufactured parts; laser cladding coatings; laser shock peening; wear resistance.