A new method to prepare CM-chitosan hydrogels was introduced with the use of steam. The procedure was simple and economical, with no toxic chemicals involved. The steam-induced crosslinking of CM-chitosan sodium salt involved the -NH2 and -COONa groups, forming amide linkages (-CONH-), evidently supported by FTIR spectroscopy and other techniques. The hydrogels instantly imbibed a great deal of water. The degree of swelling (DS) of the hydrogels was found to be up to 36, depending on the harshness of steaming conditions used. Likewise, the coloration of the samples increased from light beige to brown with increasing temperature and duration of steam exposure. The overall efficiency of the steam method for the crosslinking of CM-chitosan sodium salt was quite high. The percentage weight loss was found to be less than 10 to obtain hydrogels with DS values around 20. No weight loss in the dry weight of the fractionated hydrogels was observed when the samples were steamed at 115degreesC or higher for 15 min or longer. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.