Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information (Schedule of Consolidating Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 1,471	$ 1,404
Cost of sales	(1,119)	(1,014)
Gross profit	352	390
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(83)	(80)
Amortization of intangible assets	(4)	(2)
Research and development expenses	(17)	(19)
Other (charges) gains, net	(55)	(5)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	3
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(1)	0
Operating profit (loss)	192	287
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	47	38
Interest expense	(29)	(33)
Refinancing expense	0	(2)
Interest income	0	1
Dividend income - cost investments	29	27
Other income (expense), net	1	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	240	318
Income tax (provision) benefit	(56)	(60)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	184	258
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	1
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	1
Net earnings (loss)	184	259
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(2)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	183	257
Parent Guarantor [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0
Gross profit	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	183	256
Interest expense	0	0
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	0	0
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	183	256
Income tax (provision) benefit	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	183	256
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	183	256
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	183	256
Issuer [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0
Gross profit	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	0	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	174	274
Interest expense	(6)	(15)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	6	2
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	174	261
Income tax (provision) benefit	9	(5)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	183	256
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	183	256
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	183	256
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	589	583
Cost of sales	(443)	(441)
Gross profit	146	142
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(16)	(17)
Amortization of intangible assets	(1)	(1)
Research and development expenses	(7)	(8)
Other (charges) gains, net	(6)	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	(2)	(1)
Operating profit (loss)	114	115
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	101	173
Interest expense	(23)	(15)
Refinancing expense	0	(2)
Interest income	1	1
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	193	272
Income tax (provision) benefit	(63)	(30)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	130	242
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	130	242
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	130	242
Non-Guarantors [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	1,177	1,139
Cost of sales	(966)	(891)
Gross profit	211	248
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(67)	(63)
Amortization of intangible assets	(3)	(1)
Research and development expenses	(10)	(11)
Other (charges) gains, net	(49)	(5)
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	3
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	1	1
Operating profit (loss)	83	172
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	43	37
Interest expense	(7)	(8)
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	0	2
Dividend income - cost investments	29	27
Other income (expense), net	1	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	149	230
Income tax (provision) benefit	1	(25)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	150	205
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	1
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	1
Net earnings (loss)	150	206
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	(1)	(2)
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	149	204
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(295)	(318)
Cost of sales	290	318
Gross profit	(5)	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0
Amortization of intangible assets	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0
Other (charges) gains, net	0	0
Foreign exchange gain (loss), net	0	0
Gain (loss) on disposition of businesses and assets, net	0	0
Operating profit (loss)	(5)	0
Equity in net earnings (loss) of affiliates	(454)	(702)
Interest expense	7	5
Refinancing expense	0	0
Interest income	(7)	(4)
Dividend income - cost investments	0	0
Other income (expense), net	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before tax	(459)	(701)
Income tax (provision) benefit	(3)	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations	(462)	(701)
Earnings (loss) from operation of discontinued operations	0	0
Income tax (provision) benefit from discontinued operations	0	0
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(462)	(701)
Net (earnings) loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0
Net earnings (loss) attributable to Celanese Corporation	$ (462)	$ (701)