Hydroxyapatite/ethylene-vinyl acetate (HA/EVA) composites were prepared by injection molding and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and attenuated total multiple reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy. The nonisothermal crystallization behavior of HA/EVA composites at different cooling rates and with different HA content were examined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results exhibit the occurrence of interaction between HA and EVA, and the HA particles in EVA matrix act as effective nucleation agent. The addition of HA influences the mechanism of nucleation and growth of EVA crystallites. HA particles, as nucleus, are efficient to promote EVA crystallization at early stage but prevent EVA crystal growth in the late stage. The EVA crystallization in the composite is mainly through heterogeneous nucleation. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 122: 1412-1419, 2011