Revenues Schedule of Disaggregated Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 504.5	$ 470.5	$ 513.6	$ 469.5	$ 520.0	$ 494.9	$ 485.7	$ 431.5	$ 1,958.1	$ 1,932.1	$ 1,716.5
Total North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									597.8	581.7	486.0
Europe Middle East Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									791.6	752.2	667.7
Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									475.4	481.5	459.8
Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									93.3	116.7	103.0
Grace Catalysts Technologies
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									1,496.7	1,463.5	1,276.5
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Total North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									482.8	475.4	386.9
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Europe Middle East Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									571.4	521.4	454.5
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									385.4	386.6	365.7
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									57.1	80.1	69.4
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Refining Catalysts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									791.4	802.0	758.1
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Refining Catalysts [Member] | Total North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									291.4	282.8	269.5
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Refining Catalysts [Member] | Europe Middle East Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									288.4	266.0	236.4
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Refining Catalysts [Member] | Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									171.7	193.4	199.3
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Refining Catalysts [Member] | Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									39.9	59.8	52.9
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Polyolefin and Chemical Catalysts [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									705.3	661.5	518.4
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Polyolefin and Chemical Catalysts [Member] | Total North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									191.4	192.6	117.4
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Polyolefin and Chemical Catalysts [Member] | Europe Middle East Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									283.0	255.4	218.1
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Polyolefin and Chemical Catalysts [Member] | Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									213.7	193.2	166.4
Grace Catalysts Technologies | Polyolefin and Chemical Catalysts [Member] | Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									17.2	20.3	16.5
Grace Materials Technologies
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									461.4	468.6	440.0
Grace Materials Technologies | Total North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									115.0	106.3	99.1
Grace Materials Technologies | Europe Middle East Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									220.2	230.8	213.2
Grace Materials Technologies | Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									90.0	94.9	94.1
Grace Materials Technologies | Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									36.2	36.6	33.6
Grace Materials Technologies | Consumer/Pharma [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									144.6	132.6	123.3
Grace Materials Technologies | Consumer/Pharma [Member] | Total North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									45.2	36.2	38.2
Grace Materials Technologies | Consumer/Pharma [Member] | Europe Middle East Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									59.1	58.0	48.3
Grace Materials Technologies | Consumer/Pharma [Member] | Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									20.1	19.0	17.8
Grace Materials Technologies | Consumer/Pharma [Member] | Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									20.2	19.4	19.0
Grace Materials Technologies | Coatings [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									139.8	155.4	142.2
Grace Materials Technologies | Coatings [Member] | Total North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									25.9	28.1	26.0
Grace Materials Technologies | Coatings [Member] | Europe Middle East Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									67.8	75.3	66.9
Grace Materials Technologies | Coatings [Member] | Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									36.9	43.3	41.3
Grace Materials Technologies | Coatings [Member] | Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									9.2	8.7	8.0
Grace Materials Technologies | Chemical process [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									156.1	157.3	153.5
Grace Materials Technologies | Chemical process [Member] | Total North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									38.1	35.2	28.5
Grace Materials Technologies | Chemical process [Member] | Europe Middle East Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									79.1	81.6	83.7
Grace Materials Technologies | Chemical process [Member] | Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									32.3	32.2	34.8
Grace Materials Technologies | Chemical process [Member] | Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									6.6	8.3	6.5
Grace Materials Technologies | Other materials [Member]
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									20.9	23.3	21.0
Grace Materials Technologies | Other materials [Member] | Total North America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									5.8	6.8	6.4
Grace Materials Technologies | Other materials [Member] | Europe Middle East Africa
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									14.2	15.9	14.3
Grace Materials Technologies | Other materials [Member] | Asia Pacific
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									0.7	0.4	0.2
Grace Materials Technologies | Other materials [Member] | Latin America
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Revenues									$ 0.2	$ 0.2	$ 0.1