Jamie, In any given rocketship, there are probably 2000 different materials. Sometimes the heat is too intense for any material to take without burning. An ablative partially chars on exposure to heat and the gases given off as it chars protect it from further heating. Jamie, The strongest material in the world is diamond. But we can't build structures like airplane frames and rocketships out of diamond.
Carbon fibers have internal bonding very much like that of diamond.
Being very small, much smaller than human hair, the fibers can bend readily. The composite consisting of strong fibers and the resin that holds them together now acts like a strong material, not as strong as diamond, but able to bend and flex as is required for real structures. Jamie, Sorry this answer was lost previously. My job is easy for me because of the many years of experience I have and because the people I work with tend to be helpful. Sometimes I can answer a technical question not based on my own work, but the work of others I've worked with in the past.