This paper describes new method of preparation of poly(acrylic acid) ? based hydrogel materials under microwave irradiation. The application of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), biodegradable and non-toxic polymer, which is widely used in medicine and pharmacy, enabled to control the degree of swelling and degradation of poly(acrylic) matrix. The obtained acrylic hydrogels modified by PEG were investigated towards: swelling ability in distilled water, 0.9% of NaCl solution and 0.9% of MgCl2 solution, degradation in simulated body fluids (SBF and Ringer?s solution) and the thermal stability by thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA).