Other (Charges) Gains, Net (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2015		Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 01, 2015	Apr. 22, 2015
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Employee termination benefits					$ (53)	[1]	$ (7)	$ (23)
Asset impairments					(126)		0	(81)
Singapore contract termination					(174)		0	$ 0
Employee Termination Benefits [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Employee termination benefits					(21)
Consumer Specialties [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Commercial disputes							15
Acetyl Intermediates [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Commercial disputes							8
Asset impairments				$ (46)
Lanaken, Belgium | Consumer Specialties [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Employee termination benefits	[2]				$ (24)
Capacity Reduction Percentage		50.00%	50.00%		50.00%				50.00%	50.00%
Meredosia, IL [Member] | Industrial Specialties [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Employee termination benefits	[3]				$ (1)
Asset impairments	[3]				(1)
Nanjing, China [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Asset impairments					(123)
Nanjing, China [Member] | Acetyl Intermediates [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Asset impairments			$ (123)
SINGAPORE
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Singapore contract termination					(174)
SINGAPORE | Acetyl Intermediates [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Singapore contract termination		$ (174)
Roussillon, France and Tarragona, Spain [Member] | Acetyl Intermediates [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Employee termination benefits							(4)
Roussillon, France [Member] | Acetyl Intermediates [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Employee termination benefits				(6)
Asset impairments				(3)
Contract termination costs				(3)
Tarragona, Spain [Member] | Industrial Specialties [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Employee termination benefits	[4]				(6)
Asset impairments	[4]				(1)
Tarragona, Spain [Member] | Acetyl Intermediates [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Employee termination benefits				(14)
Asset impairments				(31)
Contract termination costs				$ (30)			2
Other Commercial Actions [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Commercial disputes							$ (12)
Pension Plan [Member] | Industrial Specialties [Member]
Other (Charges) Gains, Net [Line Items]
Special Termination Benefits recorded in Benefit Obligations					$ (1)

[1] Includes $1 million of special termination benefits included in Benefit obligations in the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2015 and is included in the Company's Industrial Specialties segment.

[2] Included in Other (charges) gains, net in the consolidated statements of operations.

[3] Included in Other (charges) gains, net in the consolidated statements of operations.

[4] Included in Other (charges) gains, net in the consolidated statements of operations.