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Note 20 - Reportable Segments (Details) - Reportable Segments - USD ($) $ in Millions | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
--- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2015 | Sep. 30, 2015 | Jun. 30, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Jun. 30, 2014 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  | $ 2,231 | $ 2,272 | $ 2,343 | $ 2,265 | $ 2,404 | $ 2,540 | $ 2,482 | $ 2,289 | $ 9,111 | [1] | $ 9,715 | [1] | $ 7,819 | [1]
Depreciation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,130 |  | 1,167 |  | 971 |
Amortization of purchased intangibles |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 54 |  | 33 |  | 31 |
Research, development and engineering expenses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 769 |  | 815 |  | 710 |
Restructuring, impairment & other charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 71 |  | 67 |
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies |  | 104 | 39 | 62 | 94 | 23 | 95 | 62 | 86 | 299 |  | 266 |  | 547 |
Income tax (provision) benefit |  | 55 | (6) | (110) | (86) | (349) | (395) | (172) | (180) | (147) |  | (1,096) |  | (512) |
Net income (loss) |  | 224 | $ 212 | $ 496 | $ 407 | 988 | $ 1,014 | $ 169 | $ 301 | 1,339 |  | 2,472 |  | 1,961 |
Investment in affiliated companies, at equity |  | 1,905 |  |  |  | 1,777 |  |  |  | 1,905 |  | 1,777 |  |  |
Operating Segments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 9,111 |  | 9,715 |  | 7,819 |
Depreciation | [2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,108 |  | 1,153 |  | 960 |
Amortization of purchased intangibles |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 53 |  | 32 |  | 31 |
Research, development and engineering expenses | [3] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 658 |  | 709 |  | 593 |
Restructuring, impairment & other charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 15 |  | 68 |  | 51 |
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8 |  |  |  | 340 | [4]
Income tax (provision) benefit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (718) |  | (833) |  | (559) |
Net income (loss) | [5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,519 |  | 1,775 |  | 1,693 |
Investment in affiliated companies, at equity |  | 337 |  |  |  | 311 |  |  |  | 337 |  | 311 |  | 3,942 |
Segment assets | [6] | 14,074 |  |  |  | 14,256 |  |  |  | 14,074 |  | 14,256 |  | 14,691 |
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,059 |  | 1,045 |  | 819 |
Display Technologies [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,086 |  | 3,851 |  | 2,545 |
Depreciation | [2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 605 |  | 676 |  | 481 |
Research, development and engineering expenses | [3] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 105 |  | 138 |  | 84 |
Restructuring, impairment & other charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 45 |  | 7 |
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (9) |  | (20) |  | 357 | [4]
Income tax (provision) benefit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (499) |  | (608) |  | (337) |
Net income (loss) | [5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,095 |  | 1,396 |  | 1,293 |
Investment in affiliated companies, at equity |  | 43 |  |  |  | 63 |  |  |  | 43 |  | 63 |  | 3,666 |
Segment assets | [6] | 8,344 |  |  |  | 8,863 |  |  |  | 8,344 |  | 8,863 |  | 9,501 |
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 594 |  | 492 |  | 350 |
Optical Communications [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,980 |  | 2,652 |  | 2,326 |
Depreciation | [2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 163 |  | 154 |  | 147 |
Amortization of purchased intangibles |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 32 |  | 10 |  | 10 |
Research, development and engineering expenses | [3] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 138 |  | 141 |  | 140 |
Restructuring, impairment & other charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (1) |  | 17 |  | 12 |
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies | [4] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |
Income tax (provision) benefit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (115) |  | (111) |  | (96) |
Net income (loss) | [5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 237 |  | 194 |  | 189 |
Investment in affiliated companies, at equity |  | 1 |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  | 1 |  | 2 |  | 3 |
Segment assets | [6] | 1,783 |  |  |  | 1,737 |  |  |  | 1,783 |  | 1,737 |  | 1,654 |
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 171 |  | 145 |  | 105 |
Environmental Technologies [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,053 |  | 1,092 |  | 919 |
Depreciation | [2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 125 |  | 119 |  | 120 |
Research, development and engineering expenses | [3] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 93 |  | 91 |  | 89 |
Restructuring, impairment & other charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  | 1 | [4]
Income tax (provision) benefit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (78) |  | (89) |  | (63) |
Net income (loss) | [5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 161 |  | 178 |  | 127 |
Investment in affiliated companies, at equity |  | 32 |  |  |  | 32 |  |  |  | 32 |  | 32 |  | 31 |
Segment assets | [6] | 1,288 |  |  |  | 1,297 |  |  |  | 1,288 |  | 1,297 |  | 1,230 |
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 117 |  | 173 |  | 196 |
Specialty Materials [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,107 |  | 1,205 |  | 1,170 |
Depreciation | [2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 112 |  | 113 |  | 137 |
Research, development and engineering expenses | [3] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 113 |  | 140 |  | 144 |
Restructuring, impairment & other charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16 |  | (1) |  | 19 |
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies | [4] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |
Income tax (provision) benefit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (85) |  | (75) |  | (88) |
Net income (loss) | [5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 167 |  | 138 |  | 181 |
Investment in affiliated companies, at equity |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 10 |
Segment assets | [6] | 1,407 |  |  |  | 1,288 |  |  |  | 1,407 |  | 1,288 |  | 1,333 |
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 88 |  | 104 |  | 62 |
Life Sciences [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 821 |  | 862 |  | 851 |
Depreciation | [2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 60 |  | 60 |  | 57 |
Amortization of purchased intangibles |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 20 |  | 22 |  | 21 |
Research, development and engineering expenses | [3] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23 |  | 22 |  | 20 |
Restructuring, impairment & other charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  | 4 |
Income tax (provision) benefit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (30) |  | (33) |  | (34) |
Net income (loss) | [5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 61 |  | 67 |  | 68 |
Segment assets | [6] | 514 |  |  |  | 553 |  |  |  | 514 |  | 553 |  | 551 |
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 32 |  | 30 |  | 51 |
Other Segments [Member] | Operating Segments [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net sales |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 64 |  | 53 |  | 8 |
Depreciation | [2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 43 |  | 31 |  | 18 |
Amortization of purchased intangibles |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Research, development and engineering expenses | [3] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 186 |  | 177 |  | 116 |
Restructuring, impairment & other charges |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 |  | 8 |
Equity in earnings of affiliated companies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 17 |  | 18 |  | (24) | [4]
Income tax (provision) benefit |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 89 |  | 83 |  | 59 |
Net income (loss) | [5] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (202) |  | (198) |  | (165) |
Investment in affiliated companies, at equity |  | 261 |  |  |  | 214 |  |  |  | 261 |  | 214 |  | 232 |
Segment assets | [6] | $ 738 |  |  |  | $ 518 |  |  |  | 738 |  | 518 |  | 422 |
Capital expenditures |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 57 |  | $ 101 |  | $ 55 |
[1] | Net sales are attributed to countries based on location of customer.
[2] | Depreciation expense for Corning's reportable segments includes an allocation of depreciation of corporate property not specifically identifiable to a segment.
[3] | Research, development and engineering expenses include direct project spending that is identifiable to a segment.
[4] | In 2013, equity in earnings of affiliated companies in the Display Technologies segment included a $28 million restructuring charge for our share of costs for headcount reductions and asset write-offs.
[5] | 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.
[6] | Segment assets include inventory, accounts receivable, property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation, and associated equity companies and cost investments.

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