Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,769	$ 1,636	$ 5,243	$ 4,894
Cost of sales	(1,333)	(1,290)	(4,021)	(3,896)
Gross profit	436	346	1,222	998
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(118)	(97)	(341)	(316)
Amortization of intangible assets	(5)	(6)	(16)	(26)
Research and development expenses	(22)	(24)	(68)	(73)
Other (charges) gains, net	20	(4)	21	(11)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	1	(2)	(1)	(5)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(2)	(2)	(5)	(3)
Operating profit (loss)	310	211	812	564
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	52	41	193	150
Interest expense	(41)	(43)	(120)	(130)
Refinancing expense	(4)	(1)	(4)	(1)
Interest income	3	0	5	1
Dividend income - cost investments	29	22	87	69
Other income (expense), net	(2)	(2)	(1)	1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	347	228	972	654
Income tax (provision) benefit	(90)	(57)	(262)	(209)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	257	171	710	445
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(7)	1	(8)	3
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	2	0	3	(1)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(5)	1	(5)	2
Net earnings (loss)	252	172	705	447
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	1	0	3	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	253	172	708	447
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	252	172	706	443
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	252	172	706	443
Income tax (provision) benefit	1	0	2	4
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	253	172	708	447
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)	253	172	708	447
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	253	172	708	447
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	291	200	801	528
Interest expense	(52)	(48)	(147)	(144)
Refinancing expense	(4)	(1)	(4)	(1)
Interest income	18	14	49	41
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	253	165	699	424
Income tax (provision) benefit	(1)	7	7	19
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	252	172	706	443
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)	252	172	706	443
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	252	172	706	443
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	749	709	2,135	2,121
Cost of sales	(492)	(477)	(1,454)	(1,455)
Gross profit	257	232	681	666
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(18)	(18)	(45)	(65)
Amortization of intangible assets	(1)	(2)	(5)	(9)
Research and development expenses	(12)	(17)	(38)	(48)
Other (charges) gains, net	21	(1)	21	3
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(3)	0	(8)	0
Operating profit (loss)	244	194	606	547
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	49	35	127	117
Interest expense	(6)	(8)	(18)	(27)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	18	17	53	48
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	4	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	305	238	772	685
Income tax (provision) benefit	(82)	(63)	(204)	(176)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	223	175	568	509
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(7)	1	(8)	3
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	2	0	3	(1)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(5)	1	(5)	2
Net earnings (loss)	218	176	563	511
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	218	176	563	511
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,340	1,250	3,997	3,699
Cost of sales	(1,133)	(1,136)	(3,433)	(3,369)
Gross profit	207	114	564	330
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(100)	(79)	(296)	(251)
Amortization of intangible assets	(4)	(4)	(11)	(17)
Research and development expenses	(10)	(7)	(30)	(25)
Other (charges) gains, net	(1)	(3)	0	(10)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	1	(2)	(1)	(5)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	1	(2)	3	(3)
Operating profit (loss)	94	17	229	19
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	40	30	165	124
Interest expense	(20)	(19)	(60)	(51)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	4	1	8	4
Dividend income - cost investments	29	22	87	69
Other income (expense), net	(2)	(2)	(5)	1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	145	49	424	166
Income tax (provision) benefit	(16)	(1)	(73)	(56)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	129	48	351	110
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)	129	48	351	110
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	1	0	3	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	130	48	354	110
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(320)	(323)	(889)	(926)
Cost of sales	292	323	866	928
Gross profit	(28)	0	(23)	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)	(28)	0	(23)	(2)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(580)	(396)	(1,606)	(1,062)
Interest expense	37	32	105	92
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	(37)	(32)	(105)	(92)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(608)	(396)	(1,629)	(1,064)
Income tax (provision) benefit	8	0	6	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(600)	(396)	(1,623)	(1,064)
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)	(600)	(396)	(1,623)	(1,064)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (600)	$ (396)	$ (1,623)	$ (1,064)