Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,413	$ 1,769	$ 4,340	$ 5,243
Cost of sales	(1,110)	(1,333)	(3,281)	(4,021)
Gross profit	303	436	1,059	1,222
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(93)	(118)	(297)	(341)
Amortization of intangible assets	(3)	(5)	(9)	(16)
Research and development expenses	(19)	(22)	(98)	(68)
Other (charges) gains, net	(4)	20	(19)	21
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	3	1	3	(1)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(1)	(2)	(8)	(5)
Operating profit (loss)	186	310	631	812
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	50	52	138	193
Interest expense	(29)	(41)	(86)	(120)
Refinancing expense	0	(4)	0	(4)
Interest income	0	3	1	5
Dividend income - cost investments	26	29	80	87
Other income (expense), net	(8)	(2)	(6)	(1)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	225	347	758	972
Income tax (provision) benefit	(74)	(90)	(170)	(262)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	151	257	588	710
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	(7)	(3)	(8)
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	2	1	3
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	(5)	(2)	(5)
Net earnings (loss)	151	252	586	705
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	10	1	16	3
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	161	253	602	708
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	161	252	602	706
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	161	252	602	706
Income tax (provision) benefit	0	1	0	2
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	161	253	602	708
Earnings (loss) from operation 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)	161	253	602	708
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	161	253	602	708
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	173	291	696	801
Interest expense	(23)	(52)	(107)	(147)
Refinancing expense	0	(4)	0	(4)
Interest income	2	18	15	49
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(1)	0	(1)	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	151	253	603	699
Income tax (provision) benefit	10	(1)	(1)	7
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	161	252	602	706
Earnings (loss) from operation 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)	161	252	602	706
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	161	252	602	706
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	553	749	1,885	2,135
Cost of sales	(424)	(492)	(1,329)	(1,454)
Gross profit	129	257	556	681
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(22)	(18)	(75)	(45)
Amortization of intangible assets	(1)	(1)	(4)	(5)
Research and development expenses	(9)	(12)	(68)	(38)
Other (charges) gains, net	1	21	(2)	21
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(2)	(3)	(5)	(8)
Operating profit (loss)	96	244	402	606
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	77	49	283	127
Interest expense	(2)	(6)	(15)	(18)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	0	18	39	53
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	1	0	2	4
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	172	305	711	772
Income tax (provision) benefit	(30)	(82)	(112)	(204)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	142	223	599	568
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	(7)	(3)	(8)
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	2	1	3
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	(5)	(2)	(5)
Net earnings (loss)	142	218	597	563
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	142	218	597	563
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,119	1,340	3,426	3,997
Cost of sales	(974)	(1,133)	(2,969)	(3,433)
Gross profit	145	207	457	564
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(71)	(100)	(222)	(296)
Amortization of intangible assets	(2)	(4)	(5)	(11)
Research and development expenses	(10)	(10)	(30)	(30)
Other (charges) gains, net	(5)	(1)	(17)	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	3	1	3	(1)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	1	1	(3)	3
Operating profit (loss)	61	94	183	229
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	47	40	122	165
Interest expense	(8)	(20)	(28)	(60)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	2	4	11	8
Dividend income - cost investments	26	29	80	87
Other income (expense), net	(8)	(2)	(7)	(5)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	120	145	361	424
Income tax (provision) benefit	(45)	(16)	(46)	(73)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	75	129	315	351
Earnings (loss) from operation 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)	75	129	315	351
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	10	1	16	3
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	85	130	331	354
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(259)	(320)	(971)	(889)
Cost of sales	288	292	1,017	866
Gross profit	29	(28)	46	(23)
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)	29	(28)	46	(23)
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(408)	(580)	(1,565)	(1,606)
Interest expense	4	37	64	105
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	(4)	(37)	(64)	(105)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(379)	(608)	(1,519)	(1,629)
Income tax (provision) benefit	(9)	8	(11)	6
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(388)	(600)	(1,530)	(1,623)
Earnings (loss) from operation 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)	(388)	(600)	(1,530)	(1,623)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (388)	$ (600)	$ (1,530)	$ (1,623)