Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,252	$ 967	$ 952	$ 780
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	791	706
Non-trade receivables, net	214	285
Inventories, net	652	682
Deferred income taxes	0	68
Marketable securities, at fair value	34	30
Other assets	35	49
Total current assets	2,978	2,787
Investments in affiliates	864	838
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	3,578	3,609
Deferred income taxes		222
Deferred income taxes	216
Other assets	290	300
Goodwill	712	705
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	119	125
Total assets	8,757	8,586
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	92	513
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	591	587
Other liabilities	299	330
Deferred income taxes	0	30
Income taxes payable	116	90
Total current liabilities	1,098	1,550
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	2,923	2,468
Deferred income taxes		136
Deferred income taxes	139
Uncertain tax positions	101	167
Benefit obligations	1,124	1,189
Other liabilities	221	247
Total noncurrent liabilities	4,508	4,207
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,710	2,378
Noncontrolling interests	441	451
Total equity	3,151	2,829
Total liabilities and equity	8,757	8,586
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	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	38	37
Investments in affiliates	2,672	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	2,710	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	2,710	2,378
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,710	2,378
Total liabilities and equity	2,710	2,378
Issuer [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	2	0	0	0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	0	0
Non-trade receivables, net	545	580
Inventories, net	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	13	12
Total current assets	560	592
Investments in affiliates	4,181	3,947
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Deferred income taxes		2
Deferred income taxes	0
Other assets	705	418
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	0	0
Total assets	5,446	4,959
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	0	479
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	1	0
Other liabilities	29	28
Deferred income taxes	0	26
Income taxes payable	0	0
Total current liabilities	30	533
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	2,717	2,078
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	27
Uncertain tax positions	0	7
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0
Total noncurrent liabilities	2,744	2,085
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	2,672	2,341
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	2,672	2,341
Total liabilities and equity	5,446	4,959
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	652	21	27	110
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	122	132
Non-trade receivables, net	233	298
Inventories, net	228	258
Deferred income taxes	0	19
Marketable securities, at fair value	34	30
Other assets	15	28
Total current assets	1,284	786
Investments in affiliates	3,689	3,909
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,025	1,001
Deferred income taxes		178
Deferred income taxes	153
Other assets	144	151
Goodwill	314	314
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	49	51
Total assets	6,658	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	254	240
Other liabilities	174	281
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes payable	574	537
Total current liabilities	1,138	1,239
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	822	706
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	0
Uncertain tax positions	0	29
Benefit obligations	900	960
Other liabilities	76	93
Total noncurrent liabilities	1,798	1,788
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	3,722	3,363
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	3,722	3,363
Total liabilities and equity	6,658	6,390
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	598	946	925	670
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	808	722
Non-trade receivables, net	307	522
Inventories, net	469	474
Deferred income taxes	0	68
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	40	40
Total current assets	2,222	2,772
Investments in affiliates	764	738
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	2,553	2,608
Deferred income taxes		42
Deferred income taxes	65
Other assets	229	227
Goodwill	398	391
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	70	74
Total assets	6,301	6,852
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	210	213
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	475	495
Other liabilities	222	283
Deferred income taxes	0	23
Income taxes payable	103	116
Total current liabilities	1,010	1,130
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	172	187
Deferred income taxes		136
Deferred income taxes	114
Uncertain tax positions	111	131
Benefit obligations	224	229
Other liabilities	145	155
Total noncurrent liabilities	766	838
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	4,084	4,433
Noncontrolling interests	441	451
Total equity	4,525	4,884
Total liabilities and equity	6,301	6,852
Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Trade receivables - third party and affiliates	(139)	(148)
Non-trade receivables, net	(909)	(1,152)
Inventories, net	(45)	(50)
Deferred income taxes	0	(19)
Marketable securities, at fair value	0	0
Other assets	(33)	(31)
Total current assets	(1,126)	(1,400)
Investments in affiliates	(10,442)	(10,097)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	(2)
Other assets	(788)	(496)
Goodwill	0	0
Intangible Assets, Net (Excluding Goodwill)	0	0
Total assets	(12,358)	(11,993)
Current Liabilities
Short-term borrowings and current installments of long-term debt - third party and affiliates	(254)	(360)
Trade payables - third party and affiliates	(139)	(148)
Other liabilities	(126)	(262)
Deferred income taxes	0	(19)
Income taxes payable	(561)	(563)
Total current liabilities	(1,080)	(1,352)
Noncurrent Liabilities
Long-term debt, net of unamortized deferred financing costs	(788)	(503)
Deferred income taxes		0
Deferred income taxes	(2)
Uncertain tax positions	(10)	0
Benefit obligations	0	0
Other liabilities	0	(1)
Total noncurrent liabilities	(800)	(504)
Total Celanese Corporation stockholders' equity	(10,478)	(10,137)
Noncontrolling interests	0	0
Total equity	(10,478)	(10,137)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (12,358)	$ (11,993)