What is a key benefit of using mineral salts in wood treatment?

Using mineral salts in wood treatment primarily serves the purpose of making wood more resistant to ignition and combustion. Mineral salts, such as those based on boron compounds or ammonium phosphate, act as fire retardants. When absorbed into the wood fibers, they chemically alter the way the wood burns. This treatment helps to slow down the combustion process, giving occupants more time to escape and reducing the overall fire load of the treated materials.

The effectiveness of fire retardants can vary, but generally, treated wood will achieve a higher ignition temperature than untreated wood, making it more difficult to ignite and reducing flame spread. This characteristic is critical for enhancing fire safety in construction and design, particularly in areas susceptible to wildfires or in buildings with higher occupancy where fire safety is paramount.

While increasing aesthetic value, making wood float, and reducing weight might be relevant factors in other contexts, they are not the primary benefits associated with mineral salt treatments in regards to fire safety.