AbstractIron rhenate was compounded by a chemical method, which can be reproduced during the wear process of Fe‐Re alloys at elevated temperatures. The friction coefficient of iron rhenate was determined using five types of ball material (Si3N4, Al2O3, glass, 440 C, and Hast C) matching seven types of disc material (Al2O3, 761 iron base superalloy, glass, stainless steel, bronze, copper, and Al‐Li), using a ball‐on‐disc device. The results show that the iron rhenate plays a role in lubrication from room temperature to 600°C. The lubrication behaviour is related to the nature of the matching pairs: the hardness of the materials, the compatibility of iron rhenate with the materials of the matching pairs, and the surface roughness of the disc most affect the lubrication behaviour of iron rhenate. The principle of tribologically matching pairs is