Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,705	$ 1,605
Cost of sales	(1,327)	(1,272)
Gross profit	378	333
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(104)	(106)
Amortization of intangible assets	(6)	(11)
Research and development expenses	(22)	(26)
Other (charges) gains, net	(1)	(4)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	(1)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(1)	(1)
Operating profit (loss)	243	184
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	40	54
Interest expense	(39)	(43)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	0	0
Dividend income - cost investments	29	24
Other income (expense), net	0	(1)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	273	218
Income tax (provision) benefit	(78)	(77)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	195	141
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	2
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	(1)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	1
Net earnings (loss)	195	142
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	1	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	196	142
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	195	141
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	195	141
Income tax (provision) benefit	1	1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	196	142
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)	196	142
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	196	142
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	228	167
Interest expense	(46)	(47)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	14	14
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	196	134
Income tax (provision) benefit	(1)	7
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	195	141
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)	195	141
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	195	141
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	707	680
Cost of sales	(461)	(475)
Gross profit	246	205
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(9)	(21)
Amortization of intangible assets	(2)	(4)
Research and development expenses	(13)	(16)
Other (charges) gains, net	0	4
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(3)	(1)
Operating profit (loss)	219	167
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	30	37
Interest expense	(6)	(10)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	17	15
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	3	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	263	209
Income tax (provision) benefit	(70)	(44)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	193	165
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	2
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	(1)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	1
Net earnings (loss)	193	166
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	193	166
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,300	1,207
Cost of sales	(1,151)	(1,094)
Gross profit	149	113
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(95)	(85)
Amortization of intangible assets	(4)	(7)
Research and development expenses	(9)	(10)
Other (charges) gains, net	(1)	(4)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	(1)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	2	0
Operating profit (loss)	41	6
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	36	49
Interest expense	(19)	(16)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	1	1
Dividend income - cost investments	29	24
Other income (expense), net	(3)	(1)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	85	63
Income tax (provision) benefit	(11)	(37)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	74	26
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)	74	26
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	1	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	75	26
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(302)	(282)
Cost of sales	285	297
Gross profit	(17)	15
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	(4)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	(17)	11
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(449)	(340)
Interest expense	32	30
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	(32)	(30)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(466)	(329)
Income tax (provision) benefit	3	(4)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(463)	(333)
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)	(463)	(333)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (463)	$ (333)