Effect of Post‐Treatment and Drying Temperature on the Multifaceted Properties of GdPO 4 · H 2 O /Gelatin/Chitin Porous Composites: From Mechanical Strength to Degradation Behavior

ABSTRACT Chitin‐based porous composites hold promise for various applications but often require enhanced mechanical and structural stability. This study presents a controllable fabrication strategy using a NaOH/urea aqueous system coupled with freeze–thaw cycling. A series of composites incorporating various additives, including gelatin and gadolinium phosphate hydrate (GdPH), were prepared and the effects of post‐treatment (glycerol plasticization) and drying temperature (37°C–45°C under vacuum) were evaluated. The optimized GdPH/GE/Chitin ternary composite achieved a compressive strength of 17.40 MPa, attributed to interfacial reinforcement and structural densification. Furthermore, different drying temperatures were observed to affect the macroscopic morphology, notably the size of the centrally visible pores. The composites demonstrated hydration stability (water retention > 75%, swelling ratio ~ 190%), with the GdPH/Chitin system retaining a strength of 7.07 MPa after 14 days in lysozyme solution. GdPH incorporation provided T 1 ‐weighted MRI contrast dependent on Gd 3+ concentration and enabled 3D visualization via Micro‐CT. Comprehensive characterization (XRD, FTIR, TGA‐DTG, SEM) correlated processing parameters with the observed mechanical, structural, degradation, and imaging‐related properties. This work illustrates a processing route that can modulate the mechanical, structural, degradation, and imaging‐related properties of chitin‐based porous composites.