A comparative study on clustering indices for distribution uniformity of nanoparticles in metal matrix nanocomposites

A uniform distribution of nanoparticles is the key to ensuring enhanced mechanical properties in metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs). Extensive work has been done on developing clustering indices in various areas. This paper conducts a comparative study on existing clustering indices to the application of nanoparticle distribution in MMNCs. Through a comprehensive simulation study, we investigated the detection powers of these methods in different scenarios. Five methods with high detection powers are tested further for their ability to quantify the severity of clustering, which are found to have unsatisfactory differentiating capability despite of their high detection powers. © 2012 CIRP.