Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,769	$ 1,653	$ 3,474	$ 3,258
Cost of sales	(1,361)	(1,334)	(2,688)	(2,606)
Gross profit	408	319	786	652
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(119)	(113)	(223)	(219)
Amortization of intangible assets	(5)	(9)	(11)	(20)
Research and development expenses	(24)	(23)	(46)	(49)
Other (charges) gains, net	2	(3)	1	(7)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	(2)	(2)	(3)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(2)	0	(3)	(1)
Operating profit (loss)	259	169	502	353
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	101	55	141	109
Interest expense	(40)	(44)	(79)	(87)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	2	1	2	1
Dividend income - cost investments	29	23	58	47
Other income (expense), net	1	4	1	3
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	352	208	625	426
Income tax (provision) benefit	(94)	(75)	(172)	(152)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	258	133	453	274
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(1)	0	(1)	2
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	1	0	1	(1)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	1
Net earnings (loss)	258	133	453	275
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	1	0	2	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	259	133	455	275
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	259	130	454	271
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	259	130	454	271
Income tax (provision) benefit	0	3	1	4
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	259	133	455	275
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	259	133	455	275
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	259	133	455	275
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	282	161	510	328
Interest expense	(49)	(49)	(95)	(96)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	17	13	31	27
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	250	125	446	259
Income tax (provision) benefit	9	5	8	12
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	259	130	454	271
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	259	130	454	271
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	259	130	454	271
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	679	732	1,386	1,412
Cost of sales	(501)	(503)	(962)	(978)
Gross profit	178	229	424	434
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(18)	(26)	(27)	(47)
Amortization of intangible assets	(2)	(3)	(4)	(7)
Research and development expenses	(13)	(15)	(26)	(31)
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0	4
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(2)	1	(5)	0
Operating profit (loss)	143	186	362	353
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	48	45	78	82
Interest expense	(6)	(9)	(12)	(19)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	18	16	35	31
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	1	0	4	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	204	238	467	447
Income tax (provision) benefit	(52)	(69)	(122)	(113)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	152	169	345	334
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(1)	0	(1)	2
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	1	0	1	(1)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	1
Net earnings (loss)	152	169	345	335
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	152	169	345	335
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,357	1,242	2,657	2,449
Cost of sales	(1,149)	(1,139)	(2,300)	(2,233)
Gross profit	208	103	357	216
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(101)	(87)	(196)	(172)
Amortization of intangible assets	(3)	(6)	(7)	(13)
Research and development expenses	(11)	(8)	(20)	(18)
Other (charges) gains, net	2	(3)	1	(7)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	(2)	(2)	(3)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	(1)	2	(1)
Operating profit (loss)	94	(4)	135	2
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	89	45	125	94
Interest expense	(21)	(16)	(40)	(32)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	3	2	4	3
Dividend income - cost investments	29	23	58	47
Other income (expense), net	0	4	(3)	3
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	194	54	279	117
Income tax (provision) benefit	(46)	(18)	(57)	(55)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	148	36	222	62
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	148	36	222	62
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	1	0	2	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	149	36	224	62
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(267)	(321)	(569)	(603)
Cost of sales	289	308	574	605
Gross profit	22	(13)	5	2
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0	(4)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	22	(13)	5	(2)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(577)	(326)	(1,026)	(666)
Interest expense	36	30	68	60
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	(36)	(30)	(68)	(60)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(555)	(339)	(1,021)	(668)
Income tax (provision) benefit	(5)	4	(2)	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(560)	(335)	(1,023)	(668)
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(560)	(335)	(1,023)	(668)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (560)	$ (335)	$ (1,023)	$ (668)