Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,323	$ 1,413	$ 4,078	$ 4,340
Cost of sales	(968)	(1,110)	(2,995)	(3,281)
Gross profit	355	303	1,083	1,059
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(81)	(93)	(232)	(297)
Amortization of intangible assets	(3)	(3)	(7)	(9)
Research and development expenses	(20)	(19)	(58)	(98)
Other (charges) gains, net	(3)	(4)	(12)	(19)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	3	1	3
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(1)	(1)	1	(8)
Operating profit (loss)	246	186	776	631
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	41	50	114	138
Interest expense	(28)	(29)	(91)	(86)
Refinancing expense	(4)	0	(6)	0
Interest income	0	0	1	1
Dividend income - cost investments	26	26	82	80
Other income (expense), net	0	(8)	(2)	(6)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	281	225	874	758
Income tax (provision) benefit	(15)	(74)	(127)	(170)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	266	151	747	588
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(4)	0	(3)	(3)
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	1	0	1	1
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(3)	0	(2)	(2)
Net earnings (loss)	263	151	745	586
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	10	(5)	16
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	262	161	740	602
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	262	161	740	602
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	262	161	740	602
Income tax (provision) benefit	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	262	161	740	602
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)	262	161	740	602
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	262	161	740	602
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	250	173	742	696
Interest expense	(5)	(23)	(11)	(107)
Refinancing expense	(4)	0	(4)	0
Interest income	3	2	7	15
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	(1)	(1)	(1)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	244	151	733	603
Income tax (provision) benefit	18	10	7	(1)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	262	161	740	602
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)	262	161	740	602
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	262	161	740	602
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	544	553	1,663	1,885
Cost of sales	(414)	(424)	(1,270)	(1,329)
Gross profit	130	129	393	556
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(19)	(22)	(41)	(75)
Amortization of intangible assets	(1)	(1)	(3)	(4)
Research and development expenses	(8)	(9)	(24)	(68)
Other (charges) gains, net	0	1	(1)	(2)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(3)	(2)	(6)	(5)
Operating profit (loss)	99	96	318	402
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	169	77	472	283
Interest expense	(20)	(2)	(71)	(15)
Refinancing expense	0	0	(2)	0
Interest income	0	0	2	39
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	1	1	1	2
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	249	172	720	711
Income tax (provision) benefit	(23)	(30)	(63)	(112)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	226	142	657	599
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(2)	0	(2)	(3)
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0	0	1
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(2)	0	(2)	(2)
Net earnings (loss)	224	142	655	597
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	224	142	655	597
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,052	1,119	3,264	3,426
Cost of sales	(824)	(974)	(2,580)	(2,969)
Gross profit	228	145	684	457
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(62)	(71)	(191)	(222)
Amortization of intangible assets	(2)	(2)	(4)	(5)
Research and development expenses	(12)	(10)	(34)	(30)
Other (charges) gains, net	(3)	(5)	(11)	(17)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	(1)	3	1	3
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	2	1	7	(3)
Operating profit (loss)	150	61	452	183
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	36	47	107	122
Interest expense	(7)	(8)	(21)	(28)
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	1	2	4	11
Dividend income - cost investments	26	26	82	80
Other income (expense), net	(1)	(8)	(2)	(7)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	205	120	622	361
Income tax (provision) benefit	(11)	(45)	(70)	(46)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	194	75	552	315
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	(2)	0	(1)	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	1	0	1	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	(1)	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	193	75	552	315
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	10	(5)	16
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	192	85	547	331
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(273)	(259)	(849)	(971)
Cost of sales	270	288	855	1,017
Gross profit	(3)	29	6	46
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)	(3)	29	6	46
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(676)	(408)	(1,947)	(1,565)
Interest expense	4	4	12	64
Refinancing expense	0	0	0	0
Interest income	(4)	(4)	(12)	(64)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(679)	(379)	(1,941)	(1,519)
Income tax (provision) benefit	1	(9)	(1)	(11)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(678)	(388)	(1,942)	(1,530)
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)	(678)	(388)	(1,942)	(1,530)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (678)	$ (388)	$ (1,942)	$ (1,530)