The cross-linking process of two cationic hydroxyethylcelluloses of different hydroxyethyl and ammonium group contents, polyquaternium-4 (PQ-4) and polyquaternium-10 (PQ-10), with ethylenglycol diglycidylether (EGDE) was characterized and optimized through rheometric analysis of the forming network. The influence of NaOH concentration, temperature, and EGDE concentration on the cross-linking rate were studied. The evolution of the elastic (G') and viscous (G") moduli, recorded in time-sweep experiments carried out at a fixed angular frequency, showed that the cross-linker requires a minimum of 0.05 M NaOH and 30 degrees C to be active. The increase in G' and G" followed first order kinetics, the slopes of G' being higher than those corresponding to G". The gel time, i.e. the time at which the crossover of G' and G" occurs, decreases exponentially when temperature increases from 30 to 60 degrees C. Apparent activation energies, estimated from the gel times, ranged between 70 and 90 kJ/mol. The cross-linking rate was greater in PQ-4 than in PQ-10 owing to the initial lower viscosity and higher content in hydroxyethyl groups of the former. However, IR spectra of the final hydrogels suggest the formation of a similar number of cross-linking junctions in both polymer systems. The optimum conditions for hydrogel preparation were 60 degrees C in 0.10 M NaOH medium, and no depolymerization was observed. Such hydrogels were transparent, presented a smooth, continuous surface, and were superabsorbent in water. After drying in an oven, the degree of swelling was lower than that of freshly prepared hydrogels; the behavior of water uptake being Fickian. The hydrogels presented a significant loading capacity of diclofenac sodium, with which they interact through ionic and hydrophobic bonding. The affinity is kept at an acidic pH, preventing drug release. In contrast, at pH 8 the interactions are broken and the release process is sustained for more than 4 h. The results also indicate that the ionic strength as well as the initial pH of the medium, when the release was evaluated switching the pH from acidic to basic, are two critical factors which have to be considered to extract conclusions about the behavior of the hydrogels as site-specific delivery systems under in vivo conditions.