The Global Infrared Optical Glass Market was valued at USD 310 Million in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 542 Million by 2034, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.9% during the forecast period (2024–2034). This robust growth is primarily fueled by rising defense expenditure globally, the proliferation of thermal imaging in industrial automation and security systems, and the accelerating adoption of cutting-edge optical materials in autonomous vehicles and medical diagnostics.

As the demand for high-precision infrared systems expands across military, industrial, and consumer applications, the market is critically dependent on specialized glass manufacturers who provide materials with exceptional clarity and performance in the infrared spectrum. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Infrared Optical Glass Industry—a mix of specialized material science firms and global glass giants pioneering the next generation of infrared-transmitting materials.

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🔟 1. Schott AG

Headquarters: Mainz, Germany
Key Offering: IRG Series (e.g., IRG 2, IRG 9, IRG 24, IRG 25), Chalcogenide Glasses

Schott is a global leader in specialty glass and glass-ceramics, with a long history of innovation in infrared optical materials. Their IRG series offers a wide range of transmission properties, from near-infrared to long-wave infrared, making them suitable for thermal imaging, spectroscopy, and laser systems. Schott’s products are renowned for their high homogeneity and excellent thermal stability.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Development of eco-friendly, arsenic-free IR glass compositions

• Strategic focus on expanding production capacity for chalcogenide glasses

• Strong R&D collaborations with defense and aerospace OEMs

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9️⃣ 2. Corning Incorporated

Headquarters: Corning, New York, USA
Key Offering: ClearTran® Windows & Lenses, Specialty Infrared Materials

Corning leverages its deep expertise in materials science to produce high-performance infrared optical components. Their ClearTran® material is a water-clear, polycrystalline zinc sulfide that transmits visible to infrared light, widely used in multi-spectral systems. Corning serves demanding applications in aerospace, defense, and industrial sensing.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Investment in advanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD) processes for large-format ZnS and ZnSe

• Focus on ruggedized optical solutions for harsh environments

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Infrared Optical Glass Market – View in Detailed Research Report

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8️⃣ 3. AGC Inc.

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Key Offering: IR Glass (e.g., Calcium Aluminate Glass), Sapphire Glass for IR Applications

AGC, a leading global glass manufacturer, produces a range of infrared-transmitting glasses. Their expertise extends to calcium aluminate-based glasses that offer good transmission in the 3-5 µm mid-wave infrared (MWIR) atmospheric window, which is critical for thermal cameras and gas sensing applications.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Development of high-durability IR glass for automotive LiDAR and sensing systems

• Expansion into multilayer coatings for enhanced anti-reflection and durability

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7️⃣ 4. Umicore

Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium
Key Offering: High-Purity Germanium (HP-Ge) Wafers and Lenses

Umicore is a key supplier of high-purity germanium, a crystalline material that is a cornerstone of infrared optics due to its excellent transmission in the 2-14 µm range and high refractive index. Umicore’s materials are essential for high-performance thermal imaging lenses, particularly in military and scientific instruments.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Vertical integration from germanium material purification to polished optical components

• Focus on reducing production costs to expand market accessibility

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6️⃣ 5. LightPath Technologies, Inc.

Headquarters: Orlando, Florida, USA
Key Offering: Custom Molded Chalcogenide Glass Lenses, BD6 & BD2 Glass

LightPath Technologies specializes in the design and manufacture of precision molded glass optics, with a strong focus on infrared materials. Their proprietary chalcogenide glasses (like BD6) allow for cost-effective production of complex aspheric lenses, which is a significant advantage for high-volume applications like automotive night vision.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Pioneering precision glass molding (PGM) technology for infrared glasses

• Strategic acquisitions to expand global manufacturing footprint

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5️⃣ 6. Ohara Corporation

Headquarters: Sagamihara, Japan
Key Offering: S-TIH Series IR Glass

Ohara is a renowned Japanese manufacturer of optical glass with a dedicated portfolio for infrared applications. Their S-TIH series glasses are known for high transmittance in the near-infrared region and are often used in laser systems, communication devices, and spectroscopic instruments requiring precise optical performance.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Continuous R&D to improve the thermal and chemical resistance of IR glasses

• Strong presence in the Asian optoelectronics supply chain

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4️⃣ 7. CDGM Glass Co., Ltd.

Headquarters: Chengdu, China
Key Offering: H-IR, HT-IR, and HL-IR Glass Series

CDGM is China’s largest manufacturer of optical glass and a significant player in the global infrared glass market. The company offers a comprehensive range of IR glasses with various transmission ranges and refractive indices, catering to the growing domestic demand from China’s defense, security, and industrial sectors.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Rapid scaling of production capacity to meet local market demands

• Development of cost-competitive alternatives to imported high-end IR materials

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Infrared Optical Glass Market – View in Detailed Research Report

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3️⃣ 8. Amorphous Materials, Inc. (AMI)

Headquarters: Garland, Texas, USA
Key Offering: AMTIR (Amorphous Materials Transmitting Infrared) Glasses (e.g., AMTIR-1, AMTIR-3)

AMI specializes in chalcogenide glass technology. Their AMTIR glasses, based on germanium-arsenic-selenium, are well-known for their excellent transmission in the 3-5 µm and 8-12 µm atmospheric windows, good mechanical properties, and suitability for precision molding.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Expertise in custom formulations for specific customer wavelength requirements

• Supplying materials for critical defense and aerospace applications

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2️⃣ 9. Sumita Optical Glass, Inc.

Headquarters: Saitama, Japan
Key Offering: IR Grade Glass (e.g., K-VC89, K-VC90), Precision Molded Lenses

Sumita is another leading Japanese optical glass maker with a strong focus on high-value, specialty glasses. Their infrared-grade offerings include materials with high refractive indices and customized dispersion properties, essential for designing advanced optical systems with minimal aberration.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Focus on ultra-precise glass melting and forming processes

• Strong collaboration with Japanese camera and sensor manufacturers

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1️⃣ 10. Vitron Spezialwerkstoffe GmbH

Headquarters: Jena, Germany
Key Offering: Custom Infrared Glass Melting, IR Glass Blanks and Preforms

Vitron is a German specialist in the melting and processing of high-performance optical materials, including a wide array of infrared glasses. They act as a crucial supplier of high-quality glass blanks and preforms to optical component manufacturers worldwide, serving niches that require custom compositions and high purity.

Innovation and Market Initiatives:

• Specialization in small-to-medium batch production of exotic glass types

• Strong R&D focus on environmentally sustainable (lead- and arsenic-free) glass chemistries

Get Full Report Here:
Infrared Optical Glass Market – View in Detailed Research Report

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🔭 Outlook: The Future of Infrared Optical Glass is Smarter and More Integrated

The infrared optical glass market is undergoing a significant evolution. While traditional materials like germanium and chalcogenide glasses continue to dominate high-performance segments, the industry is innovating to meet demands for lower costs, broader spectral performance, and enhanced functionality.

📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:

• Material Innovation: Accelerated R&D into arsenic-free and lead-free compositions to meet stricter environmental regulations and open up new application areas.

• Cost-Effective Manufacturing: Wider adoption of precision glass molding (PGM) for chalcogenide glasses to reduce the cost of complex lenses for high-volume markets like automotive and consumer electronics.

• Multispectral Fusion: Growing demand for materials that transmit across multiple spectral bands (visible to LWIR) to enable compact, multi-function sensors for applications like autonomous driving and security.

• Supply Chain Diversification: Efforts to establish robust and geographically diverse supply chains for critical raw materials like germanium, reducing dependency on single sources.

Get Full Report Here:
Infrared Optical Glass Market – View in Detailed Research Report

The companies listed above are not only supplying critical materials—they are actively shaping the capabilities of next-generation sensing and imaging systems that are becoming integral to modern technology, security, and industry.