Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) $ in Thousands, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 CAD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
U.S. federal statutory income tax rate									35.00%	35.00%	35.00%
Dividends received from Kronos Worldwide, Inc.									$ 21,132	$ 21,132	$ 21,132
Non-cash income tax benefit related to uncertain tax positions				$ 3,000					0	0	4,600
Benefit over effective income tax rate		$ 7,300			$ 7,300				7,300
Deferred income tax benefit from change in enacted tax rate									(37,500)
Currently payable (receivable)									$ (100)	1,500	100
Income tax expense (benefit) related to increase (decrease) in reserve for uncertain tax positions											(3,000)
Transition Tax | Maximum
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Percentage of annual usage limitation on net operating loss carryforward									80.00%
Scenario Forecast
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
U.S. federal statutory income tax rate								21.00%
Kronos
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Dividends received from Kronos Worldwide, Inc.									$ 21,100	21,100	$ 21,100
Kronos | US-Canada APA
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
U.S.-Canada Advance Pricing Agreement, description									During 2016, Contran, as the ultimate parent of our U.S. Consolidated income tax group, executed and finalized an Advance Pricing Agreement with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and Kronos’ Canadian subsidiary executed and finalized an Advance Pricing Agreement with the Competent Authority for Canada (collectively, the “U.S.-Canada APA”) effective for tax years 2005 - 2015.
U.S Income tax benefit										$ 3,400
Kronos | US-Canada APA | Earliest Tax Year
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year										2005
Kronos | US-Canada APA | Latest Tax Year
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year										2015
Kronos | Expected Future Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance	$ (149,900)
Kronos | Effect of Currency Exchange Rates
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance									$ 13,700
Kronos | German
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Deferred income tax asset valuation allowance										$ 153,000
Kronos | German | Expected Future Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance	(141,900)
Kronos | German | Corporate Tax Purposes
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards		652,000			652,000				652,000
Kronos | German | Trade Tax Purposes
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards		500			500				500
Kronos | Belgium
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Deferred income tax asset valuation allowance										20,000
Kronos | Belgium | Expected Future Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance	$ (8,000)
Kronos | Belgium | Corporate Tax Purposes
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards		50,000			50,000				50,000
Kronos | Non-US
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance									(186,700)
Deferred income tax asset valuation allowance										173,000			$ 150,300
Kronos | Non-US | Current Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance					(24,100)	$ (12,700)	$ 8,700			(2,200)
Kronos | European and Candadian Subsidiaries | Undistributed Earnings Previously Considered to be Permanently Reinvested
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Aggregate provisional non-cash deferred income tax expense (benefit)		4,500
Kronos | One Non US Subsidiary | Expected Future Periods Net Operating Loss Utilization | Valuation Allowance of Deferred Tax Assets | Non-cash Deferred Income Tax Benefit
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Increase (decrease) in non-cash deferred income tax asset valuation allowance		(18,700)
Kronos European Subsidiaries | Transition Tax
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Currently payable (receivable)		$ 76,200
Current income tax expense payment period		8 years
Current income tax expense payable in next fiscal year		$ 6,100			6,100				6,100
Current income tax expense payable in increments over remainder of eight year period		$ 70,100			$ 70,100				70,100
Kronos Canadian Subsidiary | US-Canada APA
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Income tax payable										$ 2,300		$ 3
Kronos Canadian Subsidiary | Canada-Germany APA | Earliest Tax Year | Canada Revenue Agency
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year			2005
Kronos Canadian Subsidiary | Canada-Germany APA | Latest Tax Year | Canada Revenue Agency
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Effective tax year			2017
Kronos Canadian And German Subsidiaries | Canada-Germany APA | Canada Revenue Agency And German Federal Central Tax Office
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Income tax expense (benefit) related to increase (decrease) in reserve for uncertain tax positions			$ (8,100)						$ (8,600)
Kronos Canadian And German Subsidiaries | German | Canada-Germany APA | Canada Revenue Agency And German Federal Central Tax Office
Income Tax Disclosure [Line Items]
Non-cash income tax benefit related to increase in German NOLs			2,600
Cash tax refund			$ 6,000