Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 978	$ 959	$ 727	$ 682
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	916	827
Non-trade receivables, net	197	209
Inventories, net	758	711
Deferred income taxes	50	49
Marketable securities, at fair value	49	53
Other assets	38	31
Total current assets	2,986	2,839
Investments in affiliates	796	800
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,286	3,350
Deferred income taxes	603	606
Other assets	480	463
Goodwill	762	777
Intangible assets, net	155	165
Total assets	9,068	9,000
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	112	168
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	659	649
Other liabilities	459	475
Deferred income taxes	25	25
Income taxes payable	96	38
Total current liabilities	1,351	1,355
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	2,959	2,930
Deferred income taxes	44	50
Uncertain tax positions	180	181
Benefit obligations	1,576	1,602
Other liabilities	1,123	1,152
Total noncurrent liabilities	5,882	5,915
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	1,835	1,730
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,835	1,730
Total liabilities and equity	9,068	9,000
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	10	0	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Non-trade receivables, net	31	31
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total current assets	31	41
Investments in affiliates	1,806	1,692
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	1,837	1,733
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	0	0
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Uncertain tax positions	2	3
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	2	3
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	1,835	1,730
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,835	1,730
Total liabilities and equity	1,837	1,733
Issuer [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Non-trade receivables, net	425	444
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	5	5
Total current assets	430	449
Investments in affiliates	3,618	3,437
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	4	5
Other assets	1,870	1,927
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	5,922	5,818
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	1,570	1,584
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	58	40
Deferred income taxes	21	21
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	1,649	1,645
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	2,457	2,467
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Uncertain tax positions	6	6
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	4	8
Total noncurrent liabilities	2,467	2,481
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	1,806	1,692
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,806	1,692
Total liabilities and equity	5,922	5,818
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	325	275	135	133
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	352	340
Non-trade receivables, net	1,745	1,754
Inventories, net	208	196
Deferred income taxes	64	62
Marketable securities, at fair value	49	52
Other assets	13	15
Total current assets	2,756	2,694
Investments in affiliates	1,616	1,579
Property, plant and equipment, net	824	813
Deferred income taxes	515	509
Other assets	131	132
Goodwill	305	305
Intangible assets, net	68	69
Total assets	6,215	6,101
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	122	208
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	231	269
Other liabilities	268	267
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	471	419
Total current liabilities	1,092	1,163
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	904	872
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Uncertain tax positions	21	23
Benefit obligations	1,345	1,362
Other liabilities	99	101
Total noncurrent liabilities	2,369	2,358
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,754	2,580
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,754	2,580
Total liabilities and equity	6,215	6,101
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	653	674	592	549
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	720	653
Non-trade receivables, net	388	484
Inventories, net	609	589
Deferred income taxes	7	8
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	1
Other assets	36	27
Total current assets	2,413	2,436
Investments in affiliates	560	570
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,462	2,537
Deferred income taxes	90	92
Other assets	429	414
Goodwill	457	472
Intangible assets, net	87	96
Total assets	6,498	6,617
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	112	159
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	584	546
Other liabilities	408	475
Deferred income taxes	25	25
Income taxes payable	82	73
Total current liabilities	1,211	1,278
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	1,545	1,597
Deferred income taxes	50	50
Uncertain tax positions	151	149
Benefit obligations	231	240
Other liabilities	1,031	1,055
Total noncurrent liabilities	3,008	3,091
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,279	2,248
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,279	2,248
Total liabilities and equity	6,498	6,617
Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	(156)	(166)
Non-trade receivables, net	(2,392)	(2,504)
Inventories, net	(59)	(74)
Deferred income taxes	(21)	(21)
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	(16)	(16)
Total current assets	(2,644)	(2,781)
Investments in affiliates	(6,804)	(6,478)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(6)	0
Other assets	(1,950)	(2,010)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(11,404)	(11,269)
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	(1,692)	(1,783)
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	(156)	(166)
Other liabilities	(275)	(307)
Deferred income taxes	(21)	(21)
Income taxes payable	(457)	(454)
Total current liabilities	(2,601)	(2,731)
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	(1,947)	(2,006)
Deferred income taxes	(6)	0
Uncertain tax positions	0	0
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	(11)	(12)
Total noncurrent liabilities	(1,964)	(2,018)
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	(6,839)	(6,520)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(6,839)	(6,520)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (11,404)	$ (11,269)