The tribological properties of newly developed friction material were evaluated by statistical analysis of the major affecting factors.The material for investigation was non-metallic friction material synergistically reinforced with aramid fibre and CaSO 4 whisker,which was developed for hoisting applications in coal mine.The response surface method(RSM)was employed to analyze the material performances affected by the independent and interactive effect of the factors under the normal working condition and severe working condition,respectively.Results showed that under the normal working condition,the newly developed material exhibited stable tribological properties which were insensitive to the test conditions.While under the severe working condition,the sliding velocity was the most dominant factor affecting the friction coefficient.Additionally,compared to the commercially available material,the modified material showed superior wear resistance and thermal stability. The tribological properties of newly developed friction material were evaluated by statistical analysis of the major affecting factors. The material for investigation was non-metallic friction material synergistically reinforced with aramid fiber and CaSO4 whisker, which was developed for hoisting applications in coal mine. response surface method (RSM) was employed to analyze the material performances affected by the independent and interactive effect of the factors under the normal working condition and severe working condition, respectively. Results demonstrated that under the normal working condition, the newly developed material represented stable tribological properties which were insensitive to the test conditions. Whilst under the severe working condition, the sliding coefficient was the most dominant factor affecting the friction coefficient. Additionally, compared to the commercially available material, the modified material showed superior wear resistance and thermal stability.