Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 952	$ 780	$ 1,510	$ 984
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	793	801
Non-trade receivables, net	231	241
Inventories, net	738	782
Deferred income taxes	15	29
Marketable securities, at fair value	30	32
Other assets	37	33
Total current assets	2,796	2,698
Investments in affiliates	868	876
Property, plant and equipment	3,778	3,733
Deferred income taxes	278	253
Other assets	350	377
Goodwill	716	749
Intangible assets, net	122	132
Total assets	8,908	8,818
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	463	137
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	608	757
Other liabilities	331	432
Deferred income taxes	7	7
Income taxes payable	107	5
Total current liabilities	1,516	1,338
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	2,541	2,608
Deferred income taxes	122	141
Uncertain tax positions	165	159
Benefit obligations	1,103	1,211
Other liabilities	264	283
Total noncurrent liabilities	4,195	4,402
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,766	2,818
Noncontrolling interests	431	260
Total equity	3,197	3,078
Total liabilities and equity	8,908	8,818
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Non-trade receivables, net	36	35
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total current assets	36	35
Investments in affiliates	2,732	2,784
Property, plant and equipment	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	2,768	2,819
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	0	0
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	1	0
Other liabilities	1	1
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	2	1
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Uncertain tax positions	0	0
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,766	2,818
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,766	2,818
Total liabilities and equity	2,768	2,819
Issuer [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Non-trade receivables, net	467	477
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	11	6
Total current assets	478	483
Investments in affiliates	4,461	5,889
Property, plant and equipment	0	0
Deferred income taxes	16	16
Other assets	445	674
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	5,400	7,062
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	354	1,894
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	34	34
Deferred income taxes	22	22
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	410	1,950
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	2,232	2,269
Deferred income taxes	19	0
Uncertain tax positions	7	6
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	53
Total noncurrent liabilities	2,258	2,328
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,732	2,784
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,732	2,784
Total liabilities and equity	5,400	7,062
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	27	110	824	284
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	121	184
Non-trade receivables, net	293	2,265
Inventories, net	260	268
Deferred income taxes	26	39
Marketable securities, at fair value	30	32
Other assets	21	12
Total current assets	778	2,910
Investments in affiliates	4,304	4,349
Property, plant and equipment	1,025	1,029
Deferred income taxes	246	211
Other assets	153	146
Goodwill	314	314
Intangible assets, net	72	73
Total assets	6,892	9,032
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	196	184
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	258	413
Other liabilities	205	225
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	560	484
Total current liabilities	1,219	1,306
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	719	900
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Uncertain tax positions	29	16
Benefit obligations	841	923
Other liabilities	122	121
Total noncurrent liabilities	1,711	1,960
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	3,962	5,766
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	3,962	5,766
Total liabilities and equity	6,892	9,032
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	925	670	686	700
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	801	821
Non-trade receivables, net	401	407
Inventories, net	532	613
Deferred income taxes	11	12
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	37	34
Total current assets	2,707	2,557
Investments in affiliates	768	613
Property, plant and equipment	2,753	2,704
Deferred income taxes	27	26
Other assets	375	400
Goodwill	402	435
Intangible assets, net	50	59
Total assets	7,082	6,794
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	219	290
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	478	548
Other liabilities	282	402
Deferred income taxes	7	7
Income taxes payable	58	45
Total current liabilities	1,044	1,292
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	194	208
Deferred income taxes	114	141
Uncertain tax positions	129	137
Benefit obligations	262	288
Other liabilities	168	192
Total noncurrent liabilities	867	966
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	4,740	4,276
Noncontrolling interests	431	260
Total equity	5,171	4,536
Total liabilities and equity	7,082	6,794
Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	(129)	(204)
Non-trade receivables, net	(966)	(2,943)
Inventories, net	(54)	(99)
Deferred income taxes	(22)	(22)
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	(32)	(19)
Total current assets	(1,203)	(3,287)
Investments in affiliates	(11,397)	(12,759)
Property, plant and equipment	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(11)	0
Other assets	(623)	(843)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(13,234)	(16,889)
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	(306)	(2,231)
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	(129)	(204)
Other liabilities	(191)	(230)
Deferred income taxes	(22)	(22)
Income taxes payable	(511)	(524)
Total current liabilities	(1,159)	(3,211)
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt	(604)	(769)
Deferred income taxes	(11)	0
Uncertain tax positions	0	0
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	(26)	(83)
Total noncurrent liabilities	(641)	(852)
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	(11,434)	(12,826)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(11,434)	(12,826)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (13,234)	$ (16,889)