Sintered friction materials are particularly useful for heavy-duty applications, e.g. aircraft brakes, heavy machinery clutch and brake linings etc. The friction materials are based on a sintered metal matrix, into which mineral, metallic, non-metallic or ceramic agents, as well as abrasives and solid lubricants are embedded. The formulation of the composite friction materials and the percentage of the metallic matrix determine significantly the good thermal conductivity and higher resistance to heat.