In today's world, technology for capacitors has grown significantly with its requirements in the direction of better dielectric properties. Developing an ideal composite material (polymer and ceramic) for satisfying the processing parameters is of great interest for capacitor industry. In this study, chemically treated barium titanate (BT) nanocrystals were prepared and used to make ceramic-polystyrene (PS) composites. A unique methodology was used in processing these materials. Effects of the chemically treated BT, filler loading, and frequency on the dielectric properties of these composites were examined, and compared with untreated BT-PS composites. Composite dielectric constant was proportional to the volume ratio of the BT filler and remained stable at different frequencies. The experimental data show that the dielectric constant of composites made with treated BT powders can attain values 2.5 times higher than that of untreated BT-PS composites. In addition, the composite shows consistency in dielectric constant values measured at different frequencies. (c) 2005 Wiley Periodicals.