Thermal conductivity of boron nitride (BN) reinforced high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites was investigated under a special dispersion state of BN particles in HDPE, i.e., BN particles surrounding HDPE matrix particles. The results indicated that the special dispersion of BN in matrix gives the composites high thermal conductivity at low filler content; moreover, the smaller BN particles can more easily form conductive chains of filler compared to the larger filler particles. Examining the dependence of electrical insulation and mechanical properties of the composites on BN content demonstrated that the reinforced composites containing 30% by volume of filler has good electrical insulation and mechanical properties. (C) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.