Ceramic materials with a matrix which contains at least one carbide, at least one carbide-forming element and carbon, and which furthermore contain a dispersed phase of carbon particles with spherical shape and an average diameter of 0.2 μm to 800 μm, a process for their production and their use for thermal insulation, as a protective layer in ceramic armoring against mechanical action, or as a friction layer in brake disks or clutch disks.