Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statements of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 5,674	$ 6,802	$ 6,510
Cost of sales	(4,356)	(5,186)	(5,145)
Gross profit	1,318	1,616	1,365
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(506)	(758)	(311)
Amortization of intangible assets	(11)	(20)	(32)
Research and development expenses	(119)	(86)	(85)
Other (charges) gains, net	(351)	15	(158)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	4	(2)	(6)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(9)	(7)	735
Operating profit (loss)	326	758	1,508
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	181	246	180
Interest expense	(119)	(147)	(172)
Refinancing expense	0	(29)	(1)
Interest income	1	1	1
Dividend income - cost investments	107	116	93
Other income (expense), net	(8)	(4)	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	488	941	1,609
Income tax (provision) benefit	(201)	(314)	(508)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	287	627	1,101
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(3)	(11)	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	1	4	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(2)	(7)	0
Net earnings (loss)	285	620	1,101
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	19	4	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	304	624	1,101
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	302	622	1,096
Interest expense	0	0	0
Refinancing expense	0	0	0
Interest income	0	0	0
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	302	622	1,096
Income tax (provision) benefit	2	2	5
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	304	624	1,101
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	304	624	1,101
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	304	624	1,101
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	314	806	1,180
Interest expense	(77)	(190)	(192)
Refinancing expense	0	(29)	(1)
Interest income	18	57	55
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(2)	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	253	644	1,042
Income tax (provision) benefit	49	(22)	54
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	302	622	1,096
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	302	622	1,096
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	302	622	1,096
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	2,410	2,860	2,799
Cost of sales	(1,729)	(1,822)	(1,827)
Gross profit	681	1,038	972
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(242)	(313)	53
Amortization of intangible assets	(5)	(7)	(11)
Research and development expenses	(78)	(47)	(53)
Other (charges) gains, net	(5)	28	2
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(6)	(11)	(2)
Operating profit (loss)	345	688	961
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	84	90	116
Interest expense	(76)	(22)	(34)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0
Interest income	40	72	65
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	2	4	(52)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	395	832	1,056
Income tax (provision) benefit	(133)	(237)	(326)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	262	595	730
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(3)	(8)	2
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	1	3	(1)
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(2)	(5)	1
Net earnings (loss)	260	590	731
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	260	590	731
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	4,485	5,166	4,911
Cost of sales	(3,897)	(4,550)	(4,531)
Gross profit	588	616	380
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(264)	(445)	(364)
Amortization of intangible assets	(6)	(13)	(21)
Research and development expenses	(41)	(39)	(32)
Other (charges) gains, net	(346)	(13)	(156)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	4	(2)	(6)
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(3)	4	737
Operating profit (loss)	(68)	108	538
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	162	210	158
Interest expense	(36)	(78)	(70)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0
Interest income	13	15	5
Dividend income - cost investments	107	116	93
Other income (expense), net	(8)	(8)	52
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	170	363	776
Income tax (provision) benefit	(98)	(71)	(229)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	72	292	547
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	(3)	(2)
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	1	1
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	(2)	(1)
Net earnings (loss)	72	290	546
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	19	4	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	91	294	546
Consolidation Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(1,221)	(1,224)	(1,200)
Cost of sales	1,270	1,186	1,213
Gross profit	49	(38)	13
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	(4)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	49	(38)	9
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(681)	(1,482)	(2,370)
Interest expense	70	143	124
Refinancing expense	0	0	0
Interest income	(70)	(143)	(124)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(632)	(1,520)	(2,361)
Income tax (provision) benefit	(21)	14	(12)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(653)	(1,506)	(2,373)
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of discontinued operations	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(653)	(1,506)	(2,373)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (653)	$ (1,506)	$ (2,373)