PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a friction material which is environment-friendly, has satisfactory permeability and adhesiveness of a thermosetting resin such as phenolic resin, and is excellent in strength, flow friction characteristic and durability.SOLUTION: A friction material includes, as a fibrous material, a polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fiber composite which is obtained by infiltrating and impregnating 0.1 wt.% or more and 10.0 wt.% or less in total of a curable epoxy compound and, as needed, a curing agent and a glycol ether-based compatibilizing agent into a polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fiber skeleton adjusted to a moisture percentage of 15-200 wt.%. The friction material can be produced by impregnating a paper-like material obtained by wet paper making of a fibrous material including short fibers of the polyparaphenylene terephthalamide fiber composite with a thermosetting phenolic resin.
