Abstract: Non-asbestos ion-polymer composite friction materials show high heat resistance and low wear, being especially useful for friction elements in brake shoes or blocks in automobiles and industrial machines. The non-asbestos ion-polymer composites are basically composed of a polyacrylonitrile fiber and an ion-polymer used as binder matrix. An optional friction modifier can be added to include, e.g., carbon, graphite and/or MoS.sub.2, etc. The ion-polymer is polymerized from alpha, beta-unsaturated-gamma-carbonyl monomers, e.g., acrylic acid, or esters thereof or their comonomers, directly onto the solid surface of divalent metal compounds, e.g., Ca, Sr, Ba, Zn salt(s) and/or oxide(s).