Heat flux of friction and the convective heat transfer coefficient were initially calculated accurately according to the theory of heat transmission. Then a pin-on-disk temperature field model was established via the finite element method, and the steady-state temperature distributions for the pin and the disk were analyzed. Due to the influence of the surrounding media on convective heat transfer, the center temperature many section of a disk or pin specimen was highest and the temperature dropped gradually from inside out. The position farther from the disk center was found with smaller temperature difference from the lubricating oil and smaller temperature dropping gradient. Under the impact of friction heat flow and convective heat transfer, the temperature of the pin-on-disk rose rapidly at the initial stage of friction, then increased at a slower rate, and finally reached a thermal equilibrium. Comparison between simulations and experiments for the average temperature rise at the disk bottom were in good agreement, which proved the correctness of the temperature model. This study provides references for temperature prediction in studying the pin-on-disk friction pair and verifies the feasibility of simulation method for studying the temperature field of friction pair. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.