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If a plan has liabilities other than for benefits, those nonbenefit obligations may be considered as reductions of plan assets.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph b Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph d(iv)(b)(i) Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 87 -Paragraph 49 falsefalsePension plan assets72false0natruenanaNo definition available.falsetruefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsehttp://www.lubrizol.com/taxonomy/role/disclosuremajorcategoriesofuspensionplanassetsaccountedforatfairvalue1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse49falsefalseUSDtruefalse{us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis} : United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit {us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanByPlanAssetCategoriesAxis} : Interest Rate Swaptions Liabilities 12/31/2009 USD ($) $eol_PE727-----1010-K0008_STD_0_20091231_0_402164x412089_402249x412476http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000060751instant2009-12-31T00:00:000001-01-01T00:00:00falsefalseUnited States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefitus-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldius-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMemberus-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxisexplicitMemberfalsefalseInterest Rate Swaptions Liabilitiesus-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanByPlanAssetCategoriesAxisxbrldihttp://xbrl.org/2006/xbrldius-gaap_SwaptionMemberus-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanByPlanAssetCategoriesAxisexplicitMemberiso4217_USDStandardhttp://www.xbrl.org/2003/iso4217USDiso42170USDUSD$OthernaNo definition available.No authoritative reference available.falsefalseInterest Rate Swaptions Liabilities73true0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanDisclosureLineItemsus-gaaptruenadurationNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseOtherxbrli:stringItemTypestringLine items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.falsefalseDefined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]74false0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssetsus-gaaptruedebitinstantNo definition available.falsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalse2truefalsefalse-100000-0.1[3]falsetruefalsefalsefalse3falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsefalsefalseMonetaryxbrli:monetaryItemTypemonetaryAssets, usually stocks, bonds, and other investments, that have been segregated and restricted (usually in a trust) to provide benefits, at their fair value as of the measurement date. Plan assets include amounts contributed by the employer (and by employees for a contributory plan) and amounts earned from investing the contributions, less benefits paid. If a plan has liabilities other than for benefits, those nonbenefit obligations may be considered as reductions of plan assets.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph b Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 132R -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph d(iv)(b)(i) Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 87 -Paragraph 49 falsefalsePension plan assets1The fair value of government debt securities is determined through models that consider various assumptions, including time value, yield curves, credit ratings and current market prices. Corporate, state and political debt securities are valued using a matrix pricing in which securities are benchmarked against the treasury rate based on credit ratings.2The fair value of foreign currency forward contracts is based on the difference between the contract prices and market forward rates.3Swaptions are financial instruments that provide the option to enter into an interest rate swap contract before the start date of the swap. The fair value of interest rate swaptions is based on Black-Scholes models that incorporate the applicable forward interest rates and volatilities.4The fair value of equity securities and mutual funds using quoted prices reported on various U.S. and international stock exchanges is classified as Level 1. The fair value of common / collective equity funds determined based on the quoted prices of the underlying investments is classified as Level 2.374Major Categories of U.S. Pension Plan Assets, Accounted for at Fair Value (Detail) (United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit, USD $)HundredThousandsUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownfalsetrue