The resistivity relaxation behavior under applied voltages in a high-density polyethylene/graphite nanosheet composite was investigated. The influence of applied voltages on the resistivity relaxation was measured by the collection of the electric current passing through the sample and the increasing temperature of the sample. With increments in the voltage, three distinguishable relaxation curves corresponding to different dominating mechanisms were observed. The sawed curve, corresponding to the application of a high voltage, could be attributed to the reorganization of conductive particles induced by the electric field and the destruction of the conductive network due to the thermal expansion of the high-density polyethylene matrix. (c) 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.