Ablation experiments of C/C composite materials were conducted by using arc plasma jet. The ablated surfaces of the C/C composite material samples were monitored by using the online spectrum diagnoses during the ablation experiments. Based on energy balance, mass conservation and chemical equilibrium equations, surface ablative model was established for the C/C composite materials to study the ablation process and the thermal environment parameters. The simulation results are in good agreement with the theoretical solution and experimental results. The ablative experiment and analytical model can be recognized as the basic research method for the thermal protection materials in the aerospace applications. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.