Supplemental Guarantor Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue	$ 510,947	$ 454,143	$ 1,494,392	$ 1,328,715
Cost of goods sold	382,228	318,887	1,075,051	967,744
Gross profit	128,719	135,256	419,341	360,971
Operating expenses:
Research and development	10,325	9,693	30,429	30,383
Selling, general, and administrative	42,579	42,769	124,436	135,845
Depreciation and amortization	34,307	31,977	102,040	93,913
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income	41,508	50,817	162,436	100,830
Disposition and exit of business activities	0	0	0	40,001
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(15,632)	0	(35,370)	(13,423)
Earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Earnings of unconsolidated joint venture	125	94	370	274
Interest income (expense), net	(33,017)	(33,870)	(101,766)	(101,450)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(7,016)	17,041	25,670	26,232
Income tax benefit (expense)	2,165	(2,198)	(2,907)	83,024
Consolidated net income (loss)	(4,851)	14,843	22,763	109,256
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	818	717	5,178	1,792
Net income (loss) attributable to Kraton	(4,033)	15,560	27,941	111,048
Eliminations
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue	(148,164)	(41,952)	(426,758)	(119,106)
Cost of goods sold	(148,164)	(41,952)	(426,758)	(119,106)
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses:
Research and development	0	0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Disposition and exit of business activities				0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	(12,075)	(36,102)	(100,059)	(230,518)
Earnings of unconsolidated joint venture	0	0	0	0
Interest income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(12,075)	(36,102)	(100,059)	(230,518)
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Consolidated net income (loss)	(12,075)	(36,102)	(100,059)	(230,518)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Kraton	(12,075)	(36,102)	(100,059)	(230,518)
Kraton Corporation | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue	0	0	0	0
Cost of goods sold	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Operating expenses:
Research and development	0	0	0	0
Selling, general, and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Other (income) expense	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Disposition and exit of business activities				0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	(4,851)	14,843	22,763	109,256
Earnings of unconsolidated joint venture	0	0	0	0
Interest income (expense), net	0	0	0	0
Income (loss) before income taxes	(4,851)	14,843	22,763	109,256
Income tax benefit (expense)	0	0	0	0
Consolidated net income (loss)	(4,851)	14,843	22,763	109,256
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Kraton	(4,851)	14,843	22,763	109,256
Kraton Polymers LLC | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue	0	0	0	0
Cost of goods sold	4,257	(2,090)	173	(1,519)
Gross profit	(4,257)	2,090	(173)	1,519
Operating expenses:
Research and development	4,020	3,661	11,588	11,259
Selling, general, and administrative	18,636	36,277	50,893	77,720
Depreciation and amortization	5,580	5,610	16,721	16,811
Other (income) expense	(26,894)	70,969	73,860	119,947
Operating income	(5,599)	27,511	(5,515)	15,676
Disposition and exit of business activities				0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	(15,632)		(35,370)	(13,423)
Earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	16,926	21,259	77,296	121,262
Earnings of unconsolidated joint venture	0	0	0	0
Interest income (expense), net	(2,328)	(34,163)	(16,703)	(101,521)
Income (loss) before income taxes	(6,633)	14,607	19,708	21,994
Income tax benefit (expense)	1,782	236	3,055	87,262
Consolidated net income (loss)	(4,851)	14,843	22,763	109,256
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Kraton	(4,851)	14,843	22,763	109,256
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue	277,964	227,916	826,753	658,995
Cost of goods sold	219,541	150,426	610,728	462,311
Gross profit	58,423	77,490	216,025	196,684
Operating expenses:
Research and development	2,503	2,432	7,650	7,864
Selling, general, and administrative	11,838	(3,220)	35,770	23,550
Depreciation and amortization	18,209	19,818	55,199	58,691
Other (income) expense	(18,355)	(29,124)	66	(53,682)
Operating income	44,228	29,336	117,472	52,897
Disposition and exit of business activities				36,821
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Earnings of unconsolidated joint venture	0	0	0	0
Interest income (expense), net	(28,757)	(60)	(83,055)	(952)
Income (loss) before income taxes	15,471	29,276	34,417	88,766
Income tax benefit (expense)	1,660	288	698	(2,071)
Consolidated net income (loss)	17,131	29,564	35,115	86,695
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Kraton	17,131	29,564	35,115	86,695
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenue	381,147	268,179	1,094,397	788,826
Cost of goods sold	306,594	212,503	890,908	626,058
Gross profit	74,553	55,676	203,489	162,768
Operating expenses:
Research and development	3,802	3,600	11,191	11,260
Selling, general, and administrative	12,105	9,712	37,773	34,575
Depreciation and amortization	10,518	6,549	30,120	18,411
Other (income) expense	45,249	(41,845)	(73,926)	(66,265)
Operating income	2,879	(6,030)	50,479	32,257
Disposition and exit of business activities				3,180
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0		0	0
Earnings in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Earnings of unconsolidated joint venture	125	94	370	274
Interest income (expense), net	(1,932)	353	(2,008)	1,023
Income (loss) before income taxes	1,072	(5,583)	48,841	36,734
Income tax benefit (expense)	(1,277)	(2,722)	(6,660)	(2,167)
Consolidated net income (loss)	(205)	(8,305)	42,181	34,567
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	818	717	5,178	1,792
Net income (loss) attributable to Kraton	$ 613	$ (7,588)	$ 47,359	$ 36,359