Assessing the Effects of Packaging Materials on the Moisture Content and Surface Finish of Packaged Furniture Products

The study investigated the effects of packaging materials on moisture content and surface finish of furniture products. Unfinished, semi-finished, and finished furniture parts were packaged for two, four and six weeks using five different packaging materials. Four hundred and fifty (450) strips were prepared from Iroko (Millicia excelsia). Five different packaging materials were selected for the three levels of furniture parts after which a change in moisture contents and colour were determined. The mean moisture content (%) changes determined on unfinished furniture parts with plastic, cardboard, metallic, plastic plus cardboard (PC) and plastic plus cardboard and metallic (PCM) showed a rise in MC with plastic and cardboard showing highest(2.26%) and lowest(0.37%) respectively while in semi-finished furniture parts, PC and metallic recorded the highest and least of 1.72% and 0.65% respectively. However, cardboard recorded 0.12% upon the initial moisture content whiles metallic and cardboard packaging recorded highest and the least rise in MC of 2.21% and 0.14% respectively for finished furniture parts. There was insignificant difference in the surface finish. It was concluded that cardboard is the superior packaging material with the lowest MC increase throughout the three time levels.