Segment Information (Schedule of Business Segments) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		$ 6,418		$ 6,763		$ 5,918
Other (charges) gains, net		(14)		(48)		(46)
Operating profit (loss)		511		690		503
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		242		192		168
Depreciation and amortization		308		298		287
Capital expenditures		339	[1]	364	[1]	222	[1]
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		942		957
Total assets		9,000		8,518
Increase (decrease) in accrued capital expenditures		(22)		15		21
Accelerated amortization	22
Advanced Engineered Materials [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		1,261		1,298		1,109
Other (charges) gains, net		(2)		(49)		31
Operating profit (loss)		86		76		186
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		190		161		144
Depreciation and amortization		113		100		76	[2]
Capital expenditures		51		64		52
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		372		391
Total assets		2,703		2,787
Accelerated amortization						2
Consumer Specialties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		1,186	[3]	1,161	[3]	1,098	[3]
Other (charges) gains, net		(4)	[4]	(3)		(76)
Operating profit (loss)		244		227		164
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		6		2		2
Depreciation and amortization		45		44		42
Capital expenditures		65		92		50
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		276		277
Total assets		1,296		1,154
Inter-segment sales		4		3		9
Industrial Specialties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		1,184		1,223		1,036
Other (charges) gains, net		0		0		25	[5]
Operating profit (loss)		82		100		89
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization		55		45		41
Capital expenditures		38		71		55
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		65		54
Total assets		963		901
Acetyl Intermediates [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		3,231	[3]	3,551	[3]	3,082	[3]
Other (charges) gains, net		0		14		(12)
Operating profit (loss)		263		459		243
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		11		5		5
Depreciation and amortization		80		96		117	[2]
Capital expenditures		169		122		49
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		229		235
Total assets		2,238		2,035
Inter-segment sales		440		468		400
Accelerated amortization						20
Other Activities [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		0		1		2
Other (charges) gains, net		(8)	[4]	(10)		(14)	[5]
Operating profit (loss)		(164)		(172)		(179)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		35		24		17
Depreciation and amortization		15		13		11
Capital expenditures		16		15		16
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		0		0
Total assets		1,800		1,641
Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		(444)		(471)		(409)
Other (charges) gains, net		0		0		0
Operating profit (loss)		0		0		0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates		0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization		0		0		0
Capital expenditures		0		0		0
Goodwill and intangible assets, net		0		0
Total assets		0		0
Narrows, Virginia [Member] | Consumer Specialties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Insurance recoveries		9		0		0
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada [Member] | Industrial Specialties [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Insurance recoveries		0		0		25
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada [Member] | Industrial Specialties [Member] | Other Insurance Recoveries [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Insurance recoveries						$ 7

[1] Excludes expenditures related to the relocation of the Company’s POM operations in Germany (Note 27) and includes a decrease in accrued capital expenditures of $22 million for the year ended December 31, 2012 and an increase of $15 million and $21 million for the years ended December 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively.

[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 $440 million and $4 million, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2012 and $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.

[4] Includes $9 million of insurance recoveries received from the Company's captive insurance companies related to the Narrows, Virginia facility that eliminates in consolidation.

[5] Includes $7 million of insurance recoveries received from the Company’s captive insurance companies related to the Edmonton, Alberta, Canada facility that eliminates in consolidation.