Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,404	$ 1,450
Cost of sales	(1,014)	(1,069)
Gross profit	390	381
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(80)	(98)
Amortization of intangible assets	(2)	(3)
Research and development expenses	(19)	(20)
Other (charges) gains, net	(5)	(5)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	3	3
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	(1)
Operating profit (loss)	287	257
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	38	48
Interest expense	(33)	(27)
Refinancing expense	(2)	0
Interest income	1	0
Dividend income - cost investments	27	28
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	318	306
Income tax (provision) benefit	(60)	(72)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	258	234
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	1	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	1	0
Net earnings (loss)	259	234
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(2)	2
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	257	236
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0
Gross profit	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	256	235
Interest expense	0	0
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	0	0
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	256	235
Income tax (provision) benefit	0	1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	256	236
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	256	236
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	256	236
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0
Gross profit	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	274	279
Interest expense	(15)	(43)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	2	8
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	261	244
Income tax (provision) benefit	(5)	(9)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	256	235
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	256	235
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	256	235
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	583	658
Cost of sales	(441)	(431)
Gross profit	142	227
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(17)	(24)
Amortization of intangible assets	(1)	(1)
Research and development expenses	(8)	(10)
Other (charges) gains, net	0	(3)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(1)	(2)
Operating profit (loss)	115	187
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	173	92
Interest expense	(15)	(5)
Refinancing expense	(2)	0
Interest income	1	19
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	272	293
Income tax (provision) benefit	(30)	(53)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	242	240
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	242	240
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	242	240
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,139	1,133
Cost of sales	(891)	(984)
Gross profit	248	149
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(63)	(74)
Amortization of intangible assets	(1)	(2)
Research and development expenses	(11)	(10)
Other (charges) gains, net	(5)	(2)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	3	3
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	1	1
Operating profit (loss)	172	65
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	37	40
Interest expense	(8)	(12)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	2	6
Dividend income - cost investments	27	28
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	230	127
Income tax (provision) benefit	(25)	(10)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	205	117
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	1	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	1	0
Net earnings (loss)	206	117
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(2)	2
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	204	119
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(318)	(341)
Cost of sales	318	346
Gross profit	0	5
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	5
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(702)	(598)
Interest expense	5	33
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	(4)	(33)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(701)	(593)
Income tax (provision) benefit	0	(1)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(701)	(594)
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(701)	(594)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (701)	$ (594)