Hydrogels with potential technological applications has been prepared using polyacrylamide (PAAm) and methylcellulose (MC) polymers by free radical polymerization reaction. The spectroscopic, morphological, swelling, and kinetic properties were investigated by solid state (13)C VACP-MAS nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water uptake (WU) measurements, respectively. FTIR and NMR analysis confirmed the formation of semi-IPN structured hydrogel. Data from WU and SEM revealed that the addition of MC into the solution-forming hydrogel leads to increase in average pore size and hydrophilicity. By varying of AAm, MC, pH and ionic-strength of swelling medium, it was possible to obtain hydrogels with hydrophilic properties controlled and optimized. The water uptake mechanism is dependent of the AAm concentration, which can follow the Fickian diffusion and anomalous transport process. In this way, PAAm-MC hydrogels are promising materials for technological applications, such as agricultural field. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 120: 3004-3013, 2011