The isothermal kinetic of water evaporation and poly(acrylic-g-gelatin) hydrogel (PAAG) dehydration in temperature range from 333 K to 363 K was investigated under microwave heating conditions (MWH). The isothermal kinetic curves of water evaporation and hydro gel dehydration could be entirely mathematically described by the Polanyi-Winger equation. The values of the rate constant for water evaporation and hydrogel dehydration and their kinetics parameters were calculated. Both the value of activation energy (Ea) and pre exponential factor (lnA) for hydrogel dehydration under MWH is higher than those for water evaporation. The existence of a linear correlation relationship compensation effect was established between the values of kinetics parameters for water evaporation and hydro gel dehydration. The values of thermodynamic parameters of activated complex formation for water evaporation and hydrogel dehydration (standard enthalpy of activation (Delta H-center dot), standard entropy activation (Delta S-center dot), and standard free Gibbs energy of activation (Delta G(center dot))) were calculated. The mechanism of water molecules activation, both for evaporation and dehydration, by the resonant transfer of certain energy amount from the reaction system to the libration vibration of molecules of water is suggested. (C) 2017 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.