Investments (Narrative) (Details)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended									3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended								12 Months Ended				1 Months Ended		12 Months Ended			12 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) plaintiff	Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) defendant plaintiff	Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Asbestos Issues [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Asbestos Issues [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2010 Asbestos Issues [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2012 Corning Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Corning Inc. [Member] Asbestos Issues [Member] lawsuit claim	Dec. 31, 2012 Samsung Electronics Co Ltd [Member]	Apr. 30, 2011 Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2009 Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] Corning Inc. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2007 Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] Corning Inc. [Member]	Sep. 30, 2009 Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] Corsam Technologies LLC [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] Samsung Corning Co Ltd [Member] defendant	Dec. 31, 2011 Samsung Affiliate [Member] security	Dec. 31, 2012 Pittsburgh Corning Europe (PCE) [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Pittsburgh Corning Europe (PCE) [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2011 Dow Corning Corporation [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 31, 2010 Dow Corning Corporation [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Dow Corning Corporation [Member] USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2011 Dow Corning Corporation [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Dow Corning Corporation [Member] Asbestos Issues [Member] claim	Dec. 31, 2012 Dow Corning Corporation [Member] Corning Inc. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Dow Chemical Company [Member] Corning Inc. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 PPG Industries, Inc. [Member] Corning Inc. [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 Other Shareholders [Member]	Mar. 31, 2010 Amended PCC Plan [Member] Corning Inc. [Member] Asbestos Issues [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Amended PCC Plan [Member] Corning Inc. [Member] Asbestos Issues [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Amended PCC Plan [Member] Corning Inc. [Member] Asbestos Issues [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Commercial Creditors [Member] Dow Corning Corporation [Member] USD ($)	May 07, 2010 SGI And Creditors [Member] USD ($)	Jan. 11, 2011 SGI And Creditors [Member] Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] KRW	Aug. 24, 1999 SGI And Creditors [Member] Samsung Corning Precision Materials Co., Ltd. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 One Year [Member] Amended PCC Plan [Member] Corning Inc. [Member] Asbestos Issues [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Five Subsequent Anniversaries [Member] Amended PCC Plan [Member] Corning Inc. [Member] Asbestos Issues [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012 Auction Rate Securities [Member] Dow Corning Corporation [Member] USD ($)
Schedule of Investments [Line Items]
Equity in undistributed earnings of equity companies was included in retained earnings		$ 4,800,000,000		$ 4,800,000,000
Due from related parties																16,000,000		15,000,000
Due to related parties																11,000,000		34,000,000
Revised tax holiday																	61,000,000
Ownership interest percentage														43.00%				50.00%	[1]		50.00%	50.00%	50.00%							50.00%	[1]			50.00%	50.00%	50.00%	7.00%
Pre-assessment tax notice															46,000,000
Number of co-defendants				30																				2
Number of other creditors		13		13
Number of affiliates																									28
Estimated liability																																							671,000,000	657,000,000				1,950,000,000
Asbestos settlement credit charge			14,000,000	24,000,000	(49,000,000)	14,000,000	[2]	24,000,000	[2]	(49,000,000)	[2]																											(54,000,000)	14,000,000	24,000,000
Payment due to plaintiffs																1,300,000,000
Number of shares in SLI to be disposed																2,334,045
Less number of shares previously sold																1,165,955
Default rate of interest																				6.00%
Litigation settlement, gross																														1,700,000,000												550,000,000	600,000,000,000
Litigation settlement, delayed interest																																											20,000,000,000
Asset impairment charge	44,000,000	130,000,000	81,000,000	130,000,000	(324,000,000)							57,000,000
Long-term contracts, carrying value												700,000,000
Auction rate securities																																															76,000,000
Cash contributed to equity investment																							124,000,000
Amount borrowed under revolving credit facility	377,000,000	120,000,000	377,000,000	120,000,000																								1,000,000,000
Line of credit facility, expiration date																												Feb. 01, 2016
Federal Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credits																													169,000,000
Share of increase restructuring charges			52,000,000	(1,000,000)	(5,000,000)
Difference between carrying value and equity																														249,000,000
Litigation reserve																														1,600,000,000
Loss contingency, range of possible loss, minimum																																									90,000,000
Loss contingency, range of possible loss, maximum																																									294,000,000
Number of pending claims													11,800
Number of other cases currently involved alleging injuries from asbestos and similar amounts of monetary damages per case													9,800
Number of claims in other cases currently involved alleging injuries from asbestos and similar amounts of monetary damages per case																																	37,500
Insurance payments received						18,600,000
Payment amount of asbestos claims under amended PCC claim																																													100,000,000	50,000,000
Loss contingency accrual payment years			5 years
Loss contingency estimated claims period, years			20 years
Loss contingency accrual initial payment increase decrease																																							30,000,000
Loss contingency accrual payment increase decrease																																							15,000,000
Additional payment for claims in its estimated asbestos litigation security																																							150,000,000
Equity method investments	$ 4,912,000,000	$ 4,723,000,000	$ 4,912,000,000	$ 4,723,000,000												$ 3,315,000,000		$ 3,346,000,000								$ 149,000,000	$ 138,000,000			$ 1,191,000,000		$ 1,160,000,000

[1] Amounts reflect Corning's direct ownership interests in the respective affiliated companies. Corning does not control any of such entities.

[2] (3) In 2012, Corning recorded charges of $14 million to adjust the asbestos liability for the change in value of the components of the Amended PCC Plan. In 2011, Corning recorded charges of $24 million to adjust the asbestos liability for the change in value of the components of the Amended PCC Plan. In 2010, Corning recorded a net credit of $49 million primarily reflecting the change in the terms of the proposed asbestos settlement.