high heats by mass removal. Their most common use is as an external heat shield to protect supersonic aerospace vehicles from an excessive buildup of heat caused by air friction at the surface. The ablative material must have a low thermal conductivity in order that the heat may remain concentrated in the thin surface layer. As the surface of the ablator melts or sublimes, it is wiped away by the frictional forces that simultaneously heat newly exposed surfaces. The heat is carried off with the material removed. The less material that is lost, the more efficient is the ablative material
