Other (Charges) Gains, Net (Schedule of Restructuring Reserves) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the end of the period	$ 16
Total	16
Employee Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	30	$ 14
Additions	10	52
Cash payments	(21)	(28)
Other changes	(2)	(6)
Exchange rate changes	(1)	(2)
Reserve as of the end of the period	16	30
Total	30	14
Plant/Office Closures [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	0	7
Additions	0	0
Cash payments	0	(6)
Other changes	0	0
Exchange rate changes	0	(1)
Reserve as of the end of the period	0	0
Total	0	7
Advanced Engineered Materials [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the end of the period	1
Total	1
Advanced Engineered Materials [Member] | Employee Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	3	4
Additions	2	7
Cash payments	(3)	(4)
Other changes	(1)	(3)
Exchange rate changes	0	(1)
Reserve as of the end of the period	1	3
Total	3	4
Advanced Engineered Materials [Member] | Plant/Office Closures [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	0	0
Additions	0	0
Cash payments	0	0
Other changes	0	0
Exchange rate changes	0	0
Reserve as of the end of the period	0	0
Total	0	0
Consumer Specialties [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the end of the period	9
Total	9
Consumer Specialties [Member] | Employee Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	14	1
Additions	2	25
Cash payments	(6)	(12)
Other changes	0	0
Exchange rate changes	(1)	0
Reserve as of the end of the period	9	14
Total	14	1
Consumer Specialties [Member] | Plant/Office Closures [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	0	0
Additions	0	0
Cash payments	0	0
Other changes	0	0
Exchange rate changes	0	0
Reserve as of the end of the period	0	0
Total	0	0
Industrial Specialties [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the end of the period	2
Total	2
Industrial Specialties [Member] | Employee Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	6	1
Additions	2	9
Cash payments	(6)	(4)
Other changes	0	0
Exchange rate changes	0	0
Reserve as of the end of the period	2	6
Total	6	1
Industrial Specialties [Member] | Plant/Office Closures [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	0	0
Additions	0	0
Cash payments	0	0
Other changes	0	0
Exchange rate changes	0	0
Reserve as of the end of the period	0	0
Total	0	0
Acetyl Intermediates [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the end of the period	1
Total	1
Acetyl Intermediates [Member] | Employee Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	1	5
Additions	1	2
Cash payments	(1)	(5)
Other changes	0	0
Exchange rate changes	0	(1)
Reserve as of the end of the period	1	1
Total	1	5
Acetyl Intermediates [Member] | Plant/Office Closures [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	0	7
Additions	0	0
Cash payments	0	(6)
Other changes	0	0
Exchange rate changes	0	(1)
Reserve as of the end of the period	0	0
Total	0	7
Other [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the end of the period	3
Total	3
Other [Member] | Employee Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	6	3
Additions	3	9
Cash payments	(5)	(3)
Other changes	(1)	(3)
Exchange rate changes	0	0
Reserve as of the end of the period	3	6
Total	6	3
Other [Member] | Plant/Office Closures [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Reserve as of the beginning of the period	0	0
Additions	0	0
Cash payments	0	0
Other changes	0	0
Exchange rate changes	0	0
Reserve as of the end of the period	0	0
Total	$ 0	$ 0