Objective To study the effect of filler size on friction and wear properties of phenolic resin matrix friction materials. Methods Zirconium silicate, alumina, graphite and vermiculite were selected as fillers of friction materials. The friction materials were prepared by hot pressing method, tribological properties were tested on X-DM friction testing machine. The design method used in this paper was orthogonal test, and range analysis method was used to analyze the standard deviation of friction coefficient (COF) and the wear rate at high temperatures to find a best formula of the friction material. The morphologies of this material and normal friction material at different temperatures were studied by SEM. Results The results showed that with the increases of zirconium silicate and alumina particle sizes, both the COF and the wear rate at high temperatures were increased, but too large or too small zirconium silicate and alumina particles would result in instable COF; the size of graphite had little effect on friction stability. With the increase of graphite size, the wear rate at high temperatures decreased; with vermiculite size increased, the friction stability deteriorated and the wear rate at high temperatures increased. Conclusion When zirconium silicate and alumina particle sizes were between 320 ~ 400 mesh, graphite particle size was between 100 ~ 200 mesh, vermiculite particle size was smaller than 80 mesh, the friction material had the best friction and wear properties, with high and stable COF and relatively low wear rate, and the performance of thermal fading resistance at elevated temperature was excellent.