Which of the following describes the characteristic of an 'ablative' material?

An ablative material is characterized by its ability to dissipate heat through a process that involves the material burning or eroding in a controlled manner when exposed to high temperatures. This behavior is particularly important in applications where materials are subjected to intense heat, such as in aerospace engineering or in protective gear.

When ablative materials are exposed to fire or high temperatures, they tend to burn slowly while also forming char or ash, which acts as an insulating layer. This slow-burning characteristic allows the material to protect underlying structures by controlling the rate of heat transfer. As the outer layer erodes, it absorbs energy and thus helps manage the overall thermal degradation of the material. This makes option B the correct description of an ablative material's characteristic.

The other options, while related to material behaviors, do not accurately capture the essence of ablative materials. For instance, burning quickly, high thermal conductivity, or being non-combustible diverges from the defining features of ablative materials, which revolve around their ability to provide slow, controlled burning and thermal protection.