Abstract:The strength of gels determines its use and high mechanical strength gels have been applied in many fields. In order to enhance the strength of acrylamide (AM) gels, nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC) was used to prepare the AM/NCC composite hydrogel.The effects of NCC on the tensile properties, compressive properties, adhesion properties and viscoelastic properties of AM/NCC composite hydrogels were investigated by using texture analyzer and rheometer, and the microstructure of the composite hydrogels was observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM).The results showed that the tensile strength, compressive stress, adhesion and viscoelasticity of AM/NCC composite hydrogel were significantly higher than those without NCC. When the mass ratio of AM to NCC was 5:3, the tensile strength, compressive stress and viscoelasticity of the composite hydrogel reached the maximum. The toughness of AM/NCC composite hydrogel was significantly enhanced, and the tensile stress and adhesion force were nearly 4 times higher than those of AM gel.The strength of AM/NCC composite hydrogel is related to its microstructure, and the network structure of AM/NCC composite hydrogel is significantly denser than that of AM gel.