In order to improve drilling efficiency and make proper use of the heat generated during drilling， this paper investigates the thermo-mechanical rock fragmentation method by which ceramic material is added as a friction element to the impregnated diamond bit to improve the mechanical properties of the working layer. A new type of thermo-mechanical diamond bit was manufactured by calculating the size of the water ports and friction elements， and designing the bit matrix and structure， and compared with the conventional six-water-port and the three-water-way bits（the same structure as that of the thermo-mechanical diamond bit except for the friction element in the matrix） in lab drilling test. The results showed that， compared with the six-water-port and the three-water-port bits， the thermo-mechanical diamond bit with the friction element can generate heat and weaken the rock， and increase the drilling speed. At the same flow rate， the maximum ROP was 33.3% higher than that of the six-water-port bit. The matrix of the thermomechanical diamond bit had a small degree of wear than the three-water-port bit， and the thermo-mechanical diamond bit can be used for drilling highly abrasive formations.