Abstract: After aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solutions frozen-thawed repeatedly,dehydrated in vacuum and cross-linked by irradiation,a kind of artificial articular catilage-PVA-hydrogel was made up.The micromorphology of PVA-hydrogel has been observed by means of optical microscopy and SEM.DSC and mechanical tests have been employed to investigate the influence of freezing,thawing,dehydrating and irradiating upon th crystallity and the mechnical properties of PVA-hydrogel.