Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,107	$ 959	$ 800	$ 682
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	929	827
Non-trade receivables, net	280	209
Inventories, net	738	711
Deferred income taxes	50	49
Marketable securities, at fair value	45	53
Other assets	31	31
Total current assets	3,180	2,839
Investments in affiliates	808	800
Property, plant and equipment, net	3,325	3,350
Deferred income taxes	602	606
Other assets	483	463
Goodwill	772	777
Intangible assets, net	152	165
Total assets	9,322	9,000
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	224	168
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	716	649
Other liabilities	439	475
Deferred income taxes	25	25
Income taxes payable	140	38
Total current liabilities	1,544	1,355
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	2,860	2,930
Deferred income taxes	47	50
Uncertain tax positions	184	181
Benefit obligations	1,560	1,602
Other liabilities	1,142	1,152
Total noncurrent liabilities	5,793	5,915
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	1,985	1,730
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,985	1,730
Total liabilities and equity	9,322	9,000
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	10	43	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Non-trade receivables, net	32	31
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total current assets	32	41
Investments in affiliates	1,953	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	1,985	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	0	3
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	0	3
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	1,985	1,730
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,985	1,730
Total liabilities and equity	1,985	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	439	444
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	5	5
Total current assets	444	449
Investments in affiliates	3,762	3,437
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	3	5
Other assets	1,896	1,927
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	6,105	5,818
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	1,622	1,584
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	41	40
Deferred income taxes	21	21
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	1,684	1,645
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	2,460	2,467
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Uncertain tax positions	6	6
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	2	8
Total noncurrent liabilities	2,468	2,481
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	1,953	1,692
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	1,953	1,692
Total liabilities and equity	6,105	5,818
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	401	275	139	133
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	383	340
Non-trade receivables, net	1,825	1,754
Inventories, net	201	196
Deferred income taxes	64	62
Marketable securities, at fair value	45	52
Other assets	16	15
Total current assets	2,935	2,694
Investments in affiliates	1,666	1,579
Property, plant and equipment, net	846	813
Deferred income taxes	510	509
Other assets	128	132
Goodwill	305	305
Intangible assets, net	69	69
Total assets	6,459	6,101
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	232	208
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	281	269
Other liabilities	269	267
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	515	419
Total current liabilities	1,297	1,163
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	804	872
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Uncertain tax positions	25	23
Benefit obligations	1,329	1,362
Other liabilities	96	101
Total noncurrent liabilities	2,254	2,358
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,908	2,580
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,908	2,580
Total liabilities and equity	6,459	6,101
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	706	674	618	549
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	729	653
Non-trade receivables, net	429	484
Inventories, net	609	589
Deferred income taxes	7	8
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	1
Other assets	30	27
Total current assets	2,510	2,436
Investments in affiliates	558	570
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,479	2,537
Deferred income taxes	91	92
Other assets	437	414
Goodwill	467	472
Intangible assets, net	83	96
Total assets	6,625	6,617
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	132	159
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	618	546
Other liabilities	385	475
Deferred income taxes	25	25
Income taxes payable	93	73
Total current liabilities	1,253	1,278
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	1,572	1,597
Deferred income taxes	49	50
Uncertain tax positions	153	149
Benefit obligations	231	240
Other liabilities	1,054	1,055
Total noncurrent liabilities	3,059	3,091
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,313	2,248
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,313	2,248
Total liabilities and equity	6,625	6,617
Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	(183)	(166)
Non-trade receivables, net	(2,445)	(2,504)
Inventories, net	(72)	(74)
Deferred income taxes	(21)	(21)
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	(20)	(16)
Total current assets	(2,741)	(2,781)
Investments in affiliates	(7,131)	(6,478)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(2)	0
Other assets	(1,978)	(2,010)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(11,852)	(11,269)
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	(1,762)	(1,783)
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	(183)	(166)
Other liabilities	(256)	(307)
Deferred income taxes	(21)	(21)
Income taxes payable	(468)	(454)
Total current liabilities	(2,690)	(2,731)
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	(1,976)	(2,006)
Deferred income taxes	(2)	0
Uncertain tax positions	0	0
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	(10)	(12)
Total noncurrent liabilities	(1,988)	(2,018)
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	(7,174)	(6,520)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(7,174)	(6,520)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (11,852)	$ (11,269)