The current-carrying friction and wear refers to the contact behavior of friction pair when the current passes through.The damage mechanism of the current-carrying friction pair is complicated and changeable due to the coupling action of force,electricity and heat.The friction and wear mechanism of current-carrying friction was reviewed,the influence of service conditions on current-carrying tribological properties and conductivity was analyzed,the arc generation causes and influencing factors were expounded,the temperature field in current-carrying friction and its simulation research results,and the application status of current-carrying friction material were summarized.The research status and existing problems of current-carrying friction were generalized.It was pointed out that the research on the friction and wear behavior and failure mechanism of contact pair materials under multi environment and multi factor coupling should be strengthened in the future,and new composite materials should be developed to meet the specific working conditions and special performance requirements.