Twinning aspects and their efficient roles in wrought Mg alloys: A comprehensive review

[Display omitted] •Twinning in Mg alloys arises due to challenges in slip along the c-axis, impacting orientations differently at varying CRSS.•Many factors like GBs, texture, and stress states influence the twinning nucleation, propagation, and growth in Mg alloys.•Dislocation interactions and thermal effects affect twinning activation in Mg alloys, while annealing treatments may stabilize TBs.•Anomalous behavior of ET in Mg-RE alloys suggests RE elements alter c/a ratio, favoring smaller Burger vector at TBs.•CT and DT in Mg alloys promote DRX but pose risks as sources of voids and cracks. Twinning is widely recognized as an effective and cost-efficient method for controlling the microstructure and properties of wrought magnesium (Mg) alloys. Specifically, twins play a crucial role in initiating dynamic recrystallization (DRX), while twin regions experience rapid recrystallization during static recrystallization (SRX). The activation of twinning can lead to changes in lattice orientation, significantly impacting the final texture in Mg alloys. The active roles of twinning are influenced by various factors during the activation process, and the mobility of twin boundaries (TB) can be amplified by stress effects, dislocation interactions, and thermal effects. Conversely, annealing treatments that involve proper segregation or precipitation on TBs serve to stabilize them, restraining their motion. Events such as segregation may also alter the twinning propensity in Magnesium-rare earth (Mg-RE) alloys. While {10–11} contraction twins (CT) and {10–11}-{10–12} double twins (DT) can promote dynamic recrystallization (DRX), they also pose a risk as potential sources of voids and cracks. Additionally, understanding the nucleation and growth mechanisms of twinning is crucial, and these aspects are briefly reviewed in this article. Considering the factors mentioned above, this article summarizes the recent research progress in this field, shedding light on advancements in recent eras.