PURPOSE: To provide a friction material for motor vehicle use, having such corrosion-proof abiling as to prevent iron disc, etc. from developing rust, also with improved frictional performance, comprising a steel wool as the main base with its surface nitrided beforehand, a binder consisting of a thermosetting resin, and a filler.

CONSTITUTION: The objective friction material can be obtained by incorporating (A) 20W70wt% of a steel wool with its surface nitrided beforehand, having a surface HV of 300W500 and a thickness of 0.1W2.0μ (preferably, with a diameter 0.02W0.1mm and ≥2mm long) with (B) a binder consisting of a thermosetting resin, and (C) at least one sort of a filler. A preferable nitriding-tretment is as follows: a furnace is charged with a steel wool which is then kept for 10W30min. at a temperature between 500 and 600°C in a stream consisting of, for example, ammonia and a cracked gas from butane.