Firstly, several main failure modes and common failure positions of tuyere small sleeve of blast furnace were analyzed, and the problems of tuyere small sleeve at present were pointed out. Then, the research status of surface protection technology for tuyere small sleeve (copper materials) was systematically reviewed, and the application progress of co-penetration, surfacing welding and spraying were mainly introduced. The technical principles, material selection and strengthening mechanism of various processes were summarized. By comparing the three processes, it is concluded that the surfacing welding process can obtain the wear-resistant coatings which is metallurgically bonded with copper substrate, which has the most application prospect. But the current research focused on improving the hardness and wear resistance of copper surface, while ignoring the effect of protective coatings on thermal conductivity. Therefore, preparing a gradient coating on the surface of tuyere small sleeve which is metallurgically combined with the substrate, has excellent working performance, and has little influence on the thermal conductivity of overall is an important research direction for the longevity of the tuyere small sleeve in the future.