Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,351	$ 1,477	$ 2,755	$ 2,927
Cost of sales	(1,013)	(1,102)	(2,027)	(2,171)
Gross profit	338	375	728	756
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(71)	(106)	(151)	(204)
Amortization of intangible assets	(2)	(3)	(4)	(6)
Research and development expenses	(19)	(59)	(38)	(79)
Other (charges) gains, net	(4)	(10)	(9)	(15)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	(3)	2	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	2	(6)	2	(7)
Operating profit (loss)	243	188	530	445
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	35	40	73	88
Interest expense	(30)	(30)	(63)	(57)
Refinancing expense	0	0	(2)	0
Interest income	0	1	1	1
Dividend income - cost investments	29	26	56	54
Other income (expense), net	(2)	2	(2)	2
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	275	227	593	533
Income tax (provision) benefit	(52)	(24)	(112)	(96)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	223	203	481	437
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	(3)	1	(3)
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	1	0	1
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	(2)	1	(2)
Net earnings (loss)	223	201	482	435
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(2)	4	(4)	6
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	221	205	478	441
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	222	206	478	441
Interest expense	0	0	0	0
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	0	0	0	0
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	222	206	478	441
Income tax (provision) benefit	0	(1)	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	222	205	478	441
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	222	205	478	441
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	222	205	478	441
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	218	244	492	523
Interest expense	9	(41)	(6)	(84)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	2	5	4	13
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	(1)	0	(1)	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	228	208	489	452
Income tax (provision) benefit	(6)	(2)	(11)	(11)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	222	206	478	441
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	222	206	478	441
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	222	206	478	441
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	536	674	1,119	1,332
Cost of sales	(415)	(474)	(856)	(905)
Gross profit	121	200	263	427
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(5)	(29)	(22)	(53)
Amortization of intangible assets	(1)	(2)	(2)	(3)
Research and development expenses	(8)	(49)	(16)	(59)
Other (charges) gains, net	(1)	0	(1)	(3)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(2)	(1)	(3)	(3)
Operating profit (loss)	104	119	219	306
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	130	114	303	206
Interest expense	(36)	(8)	(51)	(13)
Refinancing expense	0	0	(2)	0
Interest income	1	20	2	39
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	1	0	1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	199	246	471	539
Income tax (provision) benefit	(10)	(29)	(40)	(82)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	189	217	431	457
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	(3)	0	(3)
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	1	0	1
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	(2)	0	(2)
Net earnings (loss)	189	215	431	455
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	189	215	431	455
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,073	1,174	2,212	2,307
Cost of sales	(865)	(1,011)	(1,756)	(1,995)
Gross profit	208	163	456	312
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(66)	(77)	(129)	(151)
Amortization of intangible assets	(1)	(1)	(2)	(3)
Research and development expenses	(11)	(10)	(22)	(20)
Other (charges) gains, net	(3)	(10)	(8)	(12)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	(3)	2	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	4	(5)	5	(4)
Operating profit (loss)	130	57	302	122
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	34	35	71	75
Interest expense	(6)	(8)	(14)	(20)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	1	3	3	9
Dividend income - cost investments	29	26	56	54
Other income (expense), net	(1)	1	(1)	1
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	187	114	417	241
Income tax (provision) benefit	(34)	9	(59)	(1)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	153	123	358	240
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	1	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	1	0
Net earnings (loss)	153	123	359	240
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(2)	4	(4)	6
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	151	127	355	246
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(258)	(371)	(576)	(712)
Cost of sales	267	383	585	729
Gross profit	9	12	9	17
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	9	12	9	17
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(569)	(559)	(1,271)	(1,157)
Interest expense	3	27	8	60
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	(4)	(27)	(8)	(60)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(561)	(547)	(1,262)	(1,140)
Income tax (provision) benefit	(2)	(1)	(2)	(2)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(563)	(548)	(1,264)	(1,142)
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(563)	(548)	(1,264)	(1,142)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (563)	$ (548)	$ (1,264)	$ (1,142)