Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,605	$ 1,633
Cost of sales	(1,272)	(1,359)	[1]
Gross profit	333	274	[1]
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(106)	(126)	[1]
Amortization of intangible assets	(11)	(13)
Research and development expenses	(26)	(25)	[1]
Other (charges) gains, net	(4)	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	1
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(1)	0
Operating profit (loss)	184	111	[1]
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	54	51
Interest expense	(43)	(45)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	0	1
Dividend income - cost investments	24	0
Other income (expense), net	(1)	2
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	218	120	[1]
Income tax (provision) benefit	(77)	73	[1]
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	141	193	[1]
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	2	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	(1)	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	1	0
Net earnings (loss)	142	193	[1]
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	142	193	[1]
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0
Gross profit	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	141	193	[1]
Interest expense	0	0
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	0	0
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	141	193	[1]
Income tax (provision) benefit	1	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	142	193	[1]
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	142	193	[1]
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	142	193	[1]
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0
Gross profit	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	167	207	[1]
Interest expense	(47)	(48)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	14	15
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	134	175	[1]
Income tax (provision) benefit	7	18
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	141	193	[1]
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	141	193	[1]
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	141	193	[1]
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	680	640
Cost of sales	(475)	(478)	[1]
Gross profit	205	162	[1]
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(21)	(39)	[1]
Amortization of intangible assets	(4)	(5)
Research and development expenses	(16)	(15)	[1]
Other (charges) gains, net	4	1
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(1)	0
Operating profit (loss)	167	104	[1]
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	37	40
Interest expense	(10)	(11)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	15	16
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	209	149	[1]
Income tax (provision) benefit	(44)	59	[1]
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	165	208	[1]
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	2	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	(1)	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	1	0
Net earnings (loss)	166	208	[1]
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	166	208	[1]
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,207	1,249
Cost of sales	(1,094)	(1,148)
Gross profit	113	101
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(85)	(87)	[1]
Amortization of intangible assets	(7)	(8)
Research and development expenses	(10)	(10)
Other (charges) gains, net	(4)	(1)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	1
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	6	(4)	[1]
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	49	42
Interest expense	(16)	(18)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	1	2
Dividend income - cost investments	24	0
Other income (expense), net	(1)	1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	63	23	[1]
Income tax (provision) benefit	(37)	(1)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	26	22	[1]
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	26	22	[1]
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	26	22	[1]
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(282)	(256)
Cost of sales	297	267
Gross profit	15	11
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	(4)	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	11	11
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(340)	(431)	[1]
Interest expense	30	32
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	(30)	(32)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(329)	(420)	[1]
Income tax (provision) benefit	(4)	(3)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(333)	(423)	[1]
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(333)	(423)	[1]
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (333)	$ (423)	[1]

[1] As Adjusted (Note 1)