Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statements of Operations) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,609	$ 1,807	$ 4,917	$ 5,149
Cost of sales	(1,285)	(1,406)	(3,992)	(3,987)
Gross profit	324	401	925	1,162
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(121)	(140)	(379)	(408)
Amortization of intangible assets	(12)	(17)	(38)	(50)
Research and development expenses	(24)	(24)	(76)	(72)
Other (charges) gains, net	2	(24)	(1)	(39)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(4)	1	(4)	1
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(2)	(1)	(2)	(1)
Operating profit (loss)	163	196	425	593
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	50	57	163	146
Interest expense	(44)	(54)	(134)	(166)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	(3)
Interest income	0	1	1	2
Dividend income - cost investments	1	1	85	80
Other income (expense), net	3	0	4	9
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	173	201	544	661
Income tax (provision) benefit	(54)	(34)	(32)	(151)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	119	167	512	510
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(3)	0	(3)	3
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	1	0	1	(1)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(2)	0	(2)	2
Net earnings (loss)	117	167	510	512
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	117	167	510	512
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	116	167	508	511
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	116	167	508	511
Income tax (provision) benefit	1	0	2	1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	117	167	510	512
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	117	167	510	512
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	117	167	510	512
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	141	205	577	629
Interest expense	(48)	(53)	(144)	(160)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	(3)
Interest income	14	5	44	16
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(1)	(1)	0	2
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	106	156	477	484
Income tax (provision) benefit	10	11	31	27
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	116	167	508	511
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	116	167	508	511
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	116	167	508	511
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	670	662	2,044	1,937
Cost of sales	(471)	(491)	(1,473)	(1,399)
Gross profit	199	171	571	538
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(41)	(31)	(135)	(111)
Amortization of intangible assets	(4)	(5)	(13)	(14)
Research and development expenses	(17)	(16)	(51)	(46)
Other (charges) gains, net	6	(5)	13	20
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(1)	(1)	(1)	0
Operating profit (loss)	142	113	384	387
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	44	70	134	125
Interest expense	(10)	(9)	(31)	(30)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	16	12	48	31
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	(1)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	192	186	535	512
Income tax (provision) benefit	(55)	(30)	(33)	(123)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	137	156	502	389
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(2)	1	(2)	4
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	1	0	1	(1)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(1)	1	(1)	3
Net earnings (loss)	136	157	501	392
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	136	157	501	392
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,196	1,401	3,684	4,012
Cost of sales	(1,079)	(1,184)	(3,340)	(3,389)
Gross profit	117	217	344	623
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(80)	(109)	(244)	(297)
Amortization of intangible assets	(8)	(12)	(25)	(36)
Research and development expenses	(7)	(8)	(25)	(26)
Other (charges) gains, net	(4)	(19)	(8)	(59)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(4)	1	(4)	1
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(1)	0	(1)	(1)
Operating profit (loss)	13	70	37	205
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	37	45	128	116
Interest expense	(18)	(10)	(55)	(29)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	2	2	5	8
Dividend income - cost investments	1	1	85	80
Other income (expense), net	4	1	4	8
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	39	109	204	388
Income tax (provision) benefit	(8)	(13)	(31)	(56)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	31	96	173	332
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(1)	(1)	(1)	(1)
Net earnings (loss)	30	95	172	331
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	30	95	172	331
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(257)	(256)	(811)	(800)
Cost of sales	265	269	821	801
Gross profit	8	13	10	1
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	(6)	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	8	13	4	1
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(288)	(430)	(1,184)	(1,235)
Interest expense	32	18	96	53
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	(32)	(18)	(96)	(53)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(280)	(417)	(1,180)	(1,234)
Income tax (provision) benefit	(2)	(2)	(1)	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(282)	(419)	(1,181)	(1,234)
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(282)	(419)	(1,181)	(1,234)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (282)	$ (419)	$ (1,181)	$ (1,234)