Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 716	$ 967	$ 851	$ 780
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	830	706
Non-trade receivables, net	212	285
Inventories, net	667	682
Deferred income taxes	0	68
Marketable securities, at fair value	31	30
Other assets	47	49
Total current assets	2,503	2,787
Investments in affiliates	870	838
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	3,640	3,609
Deferred income taxes	236	222
Other assets	296	300
Goodwill	722	705
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	125	125
Total assets	8,392	8,586
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	116	513
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	574	587
Other liabilities	280	330
Deferred income taxes	0	30
Income taxes payable	125	90
Total current liabilities	1,095	1,550
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	2,487	2,468
Deferred income taxes	116	136
Uncertain tax positions	176	167
Benefit obligations	1,176	1,189
Other liabilities	244	247
Total noncurrent liabilities	4,199	4,207
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,645	2,378
Noncontrolling interests	453	451
Total equity	3,098	2,829
Total liabilities and equity	8,392	8,586
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	1	0	0	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Non-trade receivables, net	38	37
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total current assets	39	37
Investments in affiliates	2,607	2,341
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	0	0
Total assets	2,646	2,378
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	0	0
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	1	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	1	0
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	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	2,645	2,378
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,645	2,378
Total liabilities and equity	2,646	2,378
Issuer [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Non-trade receivables, net	586	580
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	67	12
Total current assets	653	592
Investments in affiliates	4,078	3,947
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	2
Other assets	280	418
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	0	0
Total assets	5,011	4,959
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	40	479
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Other liabilities	66	28
Deferred income taxes	0	26
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	106	533
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	2,268	2,078
Deferred income taxes	22	0
Uncertain tax positions	8	7
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	2,298	2,085
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,607	2,341
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,607	2,341
Total liabilities and equity	5,011	4,959
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	345	21	56	110
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	163	132
Non-trade receivables, net	269	298
Inventories, net	224	258
Deferred income taxes	0	19
Marketable securities, at fair value	31	30
Other assets	24	28
Total current assets	1,056	786
Investments in affiliates	3,483	3,909
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,006	1,001
Deferred income taxes	195	178
Other assets	149	151
Goodwill	314	314
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	50	51
Total assets	6,253	6,390
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	136	181
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	235	240
Other liabilities	199	281
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	562	537
Total current liabilities	1,132	1,239
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	403	706
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Uncertain tax positions	30	29
Benefit obligations	940	960
Other liabilities	91	93
Total noncurrent liabilities	1,464	1,788
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	3,657	3,363
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	3,657	3,363
Total liabilities and equity	6,253	6,390
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	370	946	795	670
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	847	722
Non-trade receivables, net	302	522
Inventories, net	493	474
Deferred income taxes	0	68
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	72	40
Total current assets	2,084	2,772
Investments in affiliates	770	738
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	2,634	2,608
Deferred income taxes	66	42
Other assets	228	227
Goodwill	408	391
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	75	74
Total assets	6,265	6,852
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	178	213
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	519	495
Other liabilities	319	283
Deferred income taxes	0	23
Income taxes payable	120	116
Total current liabilities	1,136	1,130
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	185	187
Deferred income taxes	119	136
Uncertain tax positions	138	131
Benefit obligations	236	229
Other liabilities	153	155
Total noncurrent liabilities	831	838
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	3,845	4,433
Noncontrolling interests	453	451
Total equity	4,298	4,884
Total liabilities and equity	6,265	6,852
Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	(180)	(148)
Non-trade receivables, net	(983)	(1,152)
Inventories, net	(50)	(50)
Deferred income taxes	0	(19)
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	(116)	(31)
Total current assets	(1,329)	(1,400)
Investments in affiliates	(10,068)	(10,097)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	(25)	0
Other assets	(361)	(496)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	0	0
Total assets	(11,783)	(11,993)
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	(238)	(360)
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	(180)	(148)
Other liabilities	(305)	(262)
Deferred income taxes	0	(19)
Income taxes payable	(557)	(563)
Total current liabilities	(1,280)	(1,352)
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	(369)	(503)
Deferred income taxes	(25)	0
Uncertain tax positions	0	0
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	(1)
Total noncurrent liabilities	(394)	(504)
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	(10,109)	(10,137)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(10,109)	(10,137)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (11,783)	$ (11,993)