Polyvinyl alcohol and egg white bionanocomposite hydrogels loaded with montmorillonite clay were fabricated by a freezing-thawing technique. The bionanocomposite hydrogels showed an exfoliated morphology and they had a more interconnected and dense network as compared with the clay-free sample. The montmorillonite layers acted as multifunctional crosslinkers and the bionanocomposite hydrogels had nanoscale, slit-shaped pores. The swelling ratios of the bionanocomposite hydrogels were increased either by decreasing the content of incorporated montmorillonite or by increasing the pH of the swelling medium. It was found that the bionanocomposite hydrogels having a higher content of montmorillonite exhibited a slightly slower drying process with a longer drying duration. Using the Ritger-Peppas model, it was shown that the swelling and drying mechanisms for all bionanocomposite hydrogels were non-Fickian diffusion. According to the Peppas-Sahlin model, it was found that the absorption of the swelling agent molecules during the swelling process and also the removal of water molecules during the drying process in the early stages of the processes occurred mostly due to their diffusion. At higher swelling or drying times, the contribution of the relaxation (for swelling) and shrinkage (for drying) of the polyvinyl alcohol polymeric chains and egg white protein chains was increased.

聚乙烯醇和负载蒙脱石粘土的蛋清仿生复合水凝胶是通过冻融技术制备的。与不含粘土的样品相比，bionanocomposite水凝胶表现出剥落的形态，并且具有更紧密的互连网络。蒙脱土层起着多功能交联剂的作用，该仿生复合水凝胶具有纳米级的狭缝形孔。通过减少掺入的蒙脱石的含量或通过增加溶胀介质的pH，增加了生物纳米复合水凝胶的溶胀率。发现具有较高蒙脱石含量的仿生纳米复合水凝胶表现出稍慢的干燥过程和更长的干燥时间。使用Ritger-Peppas模型，结果表明，所有生物纳米复合水凝胶的溶胀和干燥机理均为非菲克扩散。根据Peppas-Sahlin模型，发现在膨胀过程的早期，膨胀剂分子在吸收过程中的吸收以及干燥过程中水分的去除主要是由于它们的扩散。在更高的溶胀或干燥时间下，聚乙烯醇聚合物链和蛋清蛋白链的松弛（溶胀）和收缩（干燥）的贡献增加了。已经发现，在溶胀过程中，溶胀剂分子在吸收过程中的吸收以及在干燥过程中，在干燥过程的早期，水分子的去除主要是由于它们的扩散。在更高的溶胀或干燥时间下，聚乙烯醇聚合物链和蛋清蛋白链的松弛（溶胀）和收缩（干燥）的贡献增加了。已经发现，在溶胀过程中，溶胀剂分子在吸收过程中的吸收以及在干燥过程中，在干燥过程的早期，水分子的去除主要是由于它们的扩散。在更高的溶胀或干燥时间下，聚乙烯醇聚合物链和蛋清蛋白链的松弛（溶胀）和收缩（干燥）的贡献增加了。