Abstract: To improve the surface hardness and wear resistance of 17-4PH stainless steel used for the lead screw of control rod drive mechanism in a nuclear reactor so as to meet the strict requirements in the reactor, low temperature plasma nitriding can be applied. Therefore, the influence of low-temperature ion nitriding on the microstructure of 17-4PH stainless steel is summarized. And then the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of 17-4PH stainless steel after low-temperature plasma nitriding are expounded. Finally, combined with the service environment of the control rod drive mechanism, the direction for the research of low-temperature plasma nitriding 17-4PH stainless steel is proposed.