Segment Information (Schedule of Business Segments) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		$ 6,763		$ 5,918		$ 5,082
Other (charges) gains, net		(48)		(46)		(136)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		192		168		99
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax		755		538		251
Depreciation and amortization		298		287		308
Capital expenditures		364	[1]	222	[1]	167	[1]
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		957
Total assets		8,518		8,281
Increase (decrease) in accrued capital expenditures		15		21		(9)
Accelerated amortization	22
Insurance recoveries				7		10
Advanced Engineered Materials [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		1,298		1,109		808
Other (charges) gains, net		(49)		31		(18)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		161		144		78
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax		239		329		114
Depreciation and amortization		100		76	[2]	73
Capital expenditures		64		52		27
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		391
Total assets		2,787		2,765
Accelerated amortization	2			2
Consumer Specialties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		1,161	[3]	1,098	[3]	1,084	[3]
Other (charges) gains, net		(3)		(76)		(9)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		2		2		1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax		307		237		288
Depreciation and amortization		44		42		50
Capital expenditures		92		50		50
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		277
Total assets		1,154		998
Inter-segment sales		3		9		6
Industrial Specialties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		1,223		1,036		974
Other (charges) gains, net		0		25	[4]	4	[4]
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		0		0		0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax		102		89		89
Depreciation and amortization		45		41		51
Capital expenditures		71		55		45
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		54
Total assets		901		841
Acetyl Intermediates [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		3,551	[3]	3,082	[3]	2,603	[3]
Other (charges) gains, net		14		(12)		(91)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		5		5		5
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax		469		252		102
Depreciation and amortization		96		117	[2]	123
Capital expenditures		122		49		36
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		235
Total assets		2,035		1,909
Inter-segment sales		468		400		383
Accelerated amortization	20			20
Other Activities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		1		2		2
Other (charges) gains, net		(10)		(14)	[4]	(22)	[4]
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		24		17		15
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax		(362)		(369)		(342)
Depreciation and amortization		13		11		11
Capital expenditures		15		16		9
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		0
Total assets		1,641		1,768
Intersegment Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		(471)		(409)		(389)
Other (charges) gains, net		0		0		0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		0		0		0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax		0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization		0		0		0
Capital expenditures		0		0		0
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		0
Total assets		$ 0		$ 0

[1] Excludes expenditures related to the relocation of the Company’s Ticona plant in Kelsterbach (Note 27) and includes an increase in accrued capital expenditures of $15 million and $21 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and December 31, 2010, respectively, and a decrease in accrued capital expenditures of $9 million for the year ended December 31, 2009.

[2] Includes $2 million for Advanced Engineered Materials and $20 million for Acetyl Intermediates for the accelerated amortization of the unamortized prepayment related to a raw material purchase agreement (Note 23).

[3] Net sales for Acetyl Intermediates and Consumer Specialties include inter-segment sales of $468 million and $3 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2011 and $400 million and $9 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2010; and $383 million and $6 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2009.

[4] Includes $7 million and $10 million for the years ended December 31, 2010 and 2009, respectively, of insurance recoveries received from the Company’s captive insurance companies related to the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada facility that eliminates in consolidation.