This paper reviews the basic understanding of Mg-based thermoelectric materials and various approaches for increasing their thermoelectric efficiency. Recent developments in terms of enhancement of electrical properties and reduction of thermal conductivity of Mg₂(Si,Sn) materials through experimental investigation and applying modeling approaches are discussed in detail. Further, the role of deformation and heat treatment analysis for achieving optimum thermoelectric properties in this material system and its prospects for further developments as a commercially viable solution is enumerated. The solid solutions of Mg₂X (X = Si,Ge,Sn) thermoelectric material are identified as the most favorable alloy class of thermoelectric materials for application in the intermediate temperature range (400–800 K). The reason for Mg₂X alloys becoming the preferred choice over others is because they are cheap, abundant and non-toxic. Improving the efficiency of magnesium-based thermoelectric materials through various advancements in experimental methods has appeared as a matter of great commercial importance. However, theoretical understanding of the phenomenological issues confronting the attainment of desirably high thermoelectric properties has not been widely touched upon; this leads to enormous opportunities for optimizing the figure of merit of thermoelectric materials through numerical modeling and simulation techniques. Also, deforming the alloys has been proved to be favorable for the thermoelectric performance of the material; a lot of work has been carried out for other classes of thermoelectric materials, but there is a disparity in interpreting the deformation behavior of Mg₂Si_1−xSn_x alloys and its impact on thermoelectric properties due to lack of adequate efforts to conduct systematic investigations in the area of concern.

本文回顾了对镁基热电材料的基本理解以及提高其热电效率的各种方法。通过实验研究和应用建模方法，就增强电性能和降低Mg ₂（Si，Sn）材料的导热性方面的最新进展进行了详细讨论。此外，列举了变形和热处理分析在该材料系统中获得最佳热电性能的作用及其作为商业上可行的解决方案的进一步发展前景。Mg ₂的固溶体X（X = Si，Ge，Sn）热电材料被认为是在中等温度范围（400–800 K）中应用的最有利的热电材料合金类别。镁₂的原因X合金之所以成为其他合金的首选，是因为它们价格便宜，含量丰富且无毒。通过实验方法的各种进步来提高镁基热电材料的效率似乎已具有重要的商业意义。然而，对于达到理想的高热电特性所面临的现象学问题的理论理解尚未得到广泛的探讨。通过数值建模和仿真技术，这为优化热电材料的品质因数带来了巨大的机会。同样，已经证明使合金变形对于材料的热电性能是有利的。其他类别的热电材料已经进行了很多工作，₂ Si _{1- x} Sn _x合金及其对热电性能的影响，原因是缺乏足够的努力来进行有关领域的系统研究。