ablator
n. C1 Advanced ab·la·tor
n. a substance or device that removes something, like heat or a layer of material, by wearing it away.
n. a substance or device that removes or wears away a material or heat through a physical or chemical process.
The heat shield uses an ablator to protect the spacecraft.
Engineers tested a new ablator to see how well it could withstand the extreme temperatures of re-entry.
In the context of thermal protection systems, the ablator is designed to sacrifice itself by sublimating or melting, thereby carrying away the heat energy from the underlying structure.
From ablate + -or.