Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 735	$ 967	$ 988	$ 780
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	792	706
Non-trade receivables, net	217	285
Inventories, net	636	682
Deferred income taxes	0	68
Marketable securities, at fair value	35	30
Other assets	41	49
Total current assets	2,456	2,787
Investments in affiliates	842	838
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	3,588	3,609
Deferred income taxes		222
Deferred income taxes	237
Other assets	293	300
Goodwill	711	705
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	121	125
Total assets	8,248	8,586
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	119	513
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	551	587
Other liabilities	301	330
Deferred income taxes	0	30
Income taxes payable	116	90
Total current liabilities	1,087	1,550
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	2,464	2,468
Deferred income taxes		136
Deferred income taxes	116
Uncertain tax positions	154	167
Benefit obligations	1,147	1,189
Other liabilities	229	247
Total noncurrent liabilities	4,110	4,207
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,602	2,378
Noncontrolling interests	449	451
Total equity	3,051	2,829
Total liabilities and equity	8,248	8,586
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	2	0	1	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	40	37
Investments in affiliates	2,562	2,341
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	0
Other assets	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	0	0
Total assets	2,602	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	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	0	0
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	0
Uncertain tax positions	0	0
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	0	0
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,602	2,378
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,602	2,378
Total liabilities and equity	2,602	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	537	580
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	37	12
Total current assets	574	592
Investments in affiliates	4,082	3,947
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Deferred income taxes		2
Deferred income taxes	0
Other assets	280	418
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	0	0
Total assets	4,936	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	54	28
Deferred income taxes	0	26
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	94	533
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	2,253	2,078
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	25
Uncertain tax positions	2	7
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	2,280	2,085
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,562	2,341
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,562	2,341
Total liabilities and equity	4,936	4,959
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	243	21	115	110
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	128	132
Non-trade receivables, net	213	298
Inventories, net	224	258
Deferred income taxes	0	19
Marketable securities, at fair value	35	30
Other assets	17	28
Total current assets	860	786
Investments in affiliates	3,511	3,909
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,015	1,001
Deferred income taxes		178
Deferred income taxes	192
Other assets	144	151
Goodwill	314	314
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	50	51
Total assets	6,086	6,390
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	130	181
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	238	240
Other liabilities	180	281
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	553	537
Total current liabilities	1,101	1,239
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	401	706
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	0
Uncertain tax positions	16	29
Benefit obligations	920	960
Other liabilities	80	93
Total noncurrent liabilities	1,417	1,788
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	3,568	3,363
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	3,568	3,363
Total liabilities and equity	6,086	6,390
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	490	946	872	670
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	807	722
Non-trade receivables, net	327	522
Inventories, net	453	474
Deferred income taxes	0	68
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	55	40
Total current assets	2,132	2,772
Investments in affiliates	747	738
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	2,573	2,608
Deferred income taxes		42
Deferred income taxes	68
Other assets	227	227
Goodwill	397	391
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	71	74
Total assets	6,215	6,852
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	200	213
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	455	495
Other liabilities	230	283
Deferred income taxes	0	23
Income taxes payable	115	116
Total current liabilities	1,000	1,130
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	177	187
Deferred income taxes		136
Deferred income taxes	114
Uncertain tax positions	136	131
Benefit obligations	227	229
Other liabilities	149	155
Total noncurrent liabilities	803	838
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	3,963	4,433
Noncontrolling interests	449	451
Total equity	4,412	4,884
Total liabilities and equity	6,215	6,852
Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	(143)	(148)
Non-trade receivables, net	(898)	(1,152)
Inventories, net	(41)	(50)
Deferred income taxes	0	(19)
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	(68)	(31)
Total current assets	(1,150)	(1,400)
Investments in affiliates	(10,060)	(10,097)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	(23)
Other assets	(358)	(496)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	0	0
Total assets	(11,591)	(11,993)
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	(251)	(360)
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	(142)	(148)
Other liabilities	(163)	(262)
Deferred income taxes	0	(19)
Income taxes payable	(552)	(563)
Total current liabilities	(1,108)	(1,352)
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	(367)	(503)
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	(23)
Uncertain tax positions	0	0
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	(1)
Total noncurrent liabilities	(390)	(504)
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	(10,093)	(10,137)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(10,093)	(10,137)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (11,591)	$ (11,993)