Note 17 - Reportable Segments - Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Operating Segments [Member] | Display Technologies [Member]
Net sales		$ 902,000,000	$ 757,000,000	$ 2,408,000,000	$ 2,354,000,000
Depreciation	[1]	152,000,000	147,000,000	452,000,000	455,000,000
Amortization of purchased intangibles		0	0	0	0
Research, development and engineering expenses	[2]	14,000,000	28,000,000	49,000,000	78,000,000
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies		0	(3,000,000)	0	(8,000,000)
Income tax (provision) benefit		(98,000,000)	(119,000,000)	(277,000,000)	(387,000,000)
Net income	[3]	279,000,000	255,000,000	692,000,000	852,000,000
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				4,000,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Optical Communications [Member]
Net sales		795,000,000	747,000,000	2,186,000,000	2,244,000,000
Depreciation	[1]	41,000,000	41,000,000	125,000,000	122,000,000
Amortization of purchased intangibles		10,000,000	7,000,000	25,000,000	24,000,000
Research, development and engineering expenses	[2]	37,000,000	33,000,000	110,000,000	101,000,000
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies		0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit		(49,000,000)	(34,000,000)	(99,000,000)	(100,000,000)
Net income	[3]	78,000,000	70,000,000	172,000,000	204,000,000
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				6,000,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Environmental Technologies [Member]
Net sales		264,000,000	257,000,000	787,000,000	799,000,000
Depreciation	[1]	32,000,000	32,000,000	97,000,000	93,000,000
Amortization of purchased intangibles		0	0	0	0
Research, development and engineering expenses	[2]	24,000,000	21,000,000	75,000,000	67,000,000
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies		0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit		(17,000,000)	(19,000,000)	(52,000,000)	(64,000,000)
Net income	[3]	35,000,000	38,000,000	106,000,000	132,000,000
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				5,000,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Specialty Materials [Member]
Net sales		295,000,000	288,000,000	788,000,000	832,000,000
Depreciation	[1]	26,000,000	29,000,000	81,000,000	82,000,000
Amortization of purchased intangibles		0	0	0	0
Research, development and engineering expenses	[2]	31,000,000	27,000,000	96,000,000	87,000,000
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies		0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit		(21,000,000)	(23,000,000)	(52,000,000)	(66,000,000)
Net income	[3]	42,000,000	46,000,000	106,000,000	128,000,000
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				12,000,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Life Sciences [Member]
Net sales		214,000,000	211,000,000	633,000,000	619,000,000
Depreciation	[1]	14,000,000	15,000,000	42,000,000	45,000,000
Amortization of purchased intangibles		5,000,000	5,000,000	15,000,000	15,000,000
Research, development and engineering expenses	[2]	6,000,000	6,000,000	18,000,000	17,000,000
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies		0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit		(8,000,000)	(9,000,000)	(22,000,000)	(26,000,000)
Net income	[3]	16,000,000	18,000,000	45,000,000	52,000,000
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				3,000,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Other Segments [Member]
Net sales		37,000,000	12,000,000	112,000,000	32,000,000
Depreciation	[1]	12,000,000	9,000,000	34,000,000	29,000,000
Amortization of purchased intangibles		2,000,000	0	6,000,000	0
Research, development and engineering expenses	[2]	47,000,000	34,000,000	139,000,000	123,000,000
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies		(3,000,000)	4,000,000	(8,000,000)	12,000,000
Income tax (provision) benefit		21,000,000	19,000,000	87,000,000	63,000,000
Net income	[3]	(47,000,000)	(38,000,000)	(187,000,000)	(131,000,000)
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				40,000,000
Operating Segments [Member]
Net sales		2,507,000,000	2,272,000,000	6,914,000,000	6,880,000,000
Depreciation	[1]	277,000,000	273,000,000	831,000,000	826,000,000
Amortization of purchased intangibles		17,000,000	12,000,000	46,000,000	39,000,000
Research, development and engineering expenses	[2]	159,000,000	149,000,000	487,000,000	473,000,000
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies		(3,000,000)	1,000,000	(8,000,000)	4,000,000
Income tax (provision) benefit		(172,000,000)	(185,000,000)	(415,000,000)	(580,000,000)
Net income	[3]	403,000,000	389,000,000	934,000,000	1,237,000,000
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				70,000,000
Display Technologies [Member]
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				4,000,000
Optical Communications [Member]
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				6,000,000
Environmental Technologies [Member]
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				5,000,000
Specialty Materials [Member]
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				12,000,000
Life Sciences [Member]
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				3,000,000
Other Segments [Member]
Restructuring, impairment and other charges				40,000,000
Net sales		2,507,000,000	2,272,000,000	6,914,000,000	6,880,000,000
Depreciation				844,000,000	842,000,000
Amortization of purchased intangibles		17,000,000	12,000,000	46,000,000	40,000,000
Research, development and engineering expenses		187,000,000	181,000,000	569,000,000	561,000,000
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies		19,000,000	39,000,000	119,000,000	195,000,000
Income tax (provision) benefit		27,000,000	(6,000,000)	835,000,000	(202,000,000)
Net income		284,000,000	212,000,000	2,123,000,000	1,115,000,000
Restructuring, impairment and other charges		$ 0	$ 0	$ 78,000,000	$ 0

[1] Depreciation expense for Corning's reportable segments includes an allocation of depreciation of corporate property not specifically identifiable to a segment.

[2] Research, development and engineering expenses include direct project spending that is identifiable to a segment.

[3] Many of Corning's administrative and staff functions are performed on a centralized basis. Where practicable, Corning charges these expenses to segments based upon the extent to which each business uses a centralized function. Other staff functions, such as corporate finance, human resources and legal, are allocated to segments, primarily as a percentage of sales. Expenses that are not allocated to the segments are included in the reconciliation of reportable net segment net income to consolidated net income below.