The influence of talc addition on the pyroplastic deformation of alumina-strengthened porcelain was investigated in this study. Along with the lower content of feldspar, the addition of talc contributed to the crystallization of the cordierite during the firing process, and the resulting cordierite crystals formed complicated filler structures. The porcelain samples made with the addition of talc showed an unprecedented pyroplastic deformation characteristic with almost no changes in the pyroplastic deformation index value during further firing at over 100°C after the water absorption reached almost zero. This improvement of pyroplastic deformation was thought to synchronize with the crystallization of cordierite.©2016 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.Key-words : Pyroplastic deformation, Talc, Cordierite, Porcelain, Filler [Received June 1, 2016; Accepted June 30, 2016] In the long history of porcelain manufacturing, controlling the deformation of a porcelain body during its firing process is one of the most important problems due to its tendency to decrease the precise shape reproducibility of the final product after the firing process. During the firing process, shrinkage deformation and pyroplastic deformation are two main factors responsible for the distortion of the final products. Shrinkage deformation occurs in the first stage of firing before the full dense temperature, and pyroplastic deformation is dominant during the final stage of firing.1) Pyroplastic deformation affects the optimum firing temperature range, and is related to many factors such as chemical composition, particle size of raw materials, and firing pattern.The chemical reactions, phase development, and microstructural evolution of a porcelain body during the firing process have been studied extensively with some researches focused on pyroplastic deformation.2)9) Tuncel et al. have studied the effect of chemical composition on pyroplastic deformation at 1250°C, and demonstrated that the Na 2 /K 2 O ratio had a more prominent effect on pyroplastic deformation compared to changes in the SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 ratio. 10) Deng et al. reported the effect of the distribution of mullite in the glass matrix on pyroplastic deformation.11) Other studies revealed that the dissolution of quartz in the melt resulted in increasing the viscosity of the liquid phase, thus, reducing the pyroplastic deformation. 12)14) These studies mainly focused on the viscosity of the liquid phase or mullite phase formation in the glass matrix. However, there are only few reported studies on the role of filler in the pyroplastic deformation of porcelain. Austin et al. have reported that the addition of alumina, with higher refractoriness than quartz, in vitreous whiteware was effective in decreasing deformation during firing, 15) which suggests the characteristic of filler is a sensitive factor on pyroplastic deformation of a porcelain body. On the other hand, Kobayashi studied the crystallization and densification of cordierite ceramics, and reported a hig...