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Employee Benefits, Defined Benefit Plans (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Accrued annual contribution to VEBAs $ 0kalu_AccruedAnnualVebaContribution $ 13.7kalu_AccruedAnnualVebaContribution
VEBAs    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Cash flow in determining VEBA obligation 20.0kalu_CashFlowInDetermingVebaObligation
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= kalu_VebasMember
 
VEBAs | Maximum    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Administrative expenses of the VEBAs 0.3kalu_AdministrativeExpenseObligation
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= kalu_VebasMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
 
Union VEBA    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Percent allocation of total contribution between VEBAs 85.50%kalu_PercentAllocationOfTotalContributionBetweenVebas
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= kalu_UnionVebaMember
 
Accrued Veba contingent contribution - total 45.4kalu_AccruedVebacontingentcontributiontotal
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= kalu_UnionVebaMember
 
Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation   391.5us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanBenefitObligation
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= kalu_UnionVebaMember
Defined Benefit Plan, Fair Value of Plan Assets   731.6us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFairValueOfPlanAssets
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= kalu_UnionVebaMember
Defined Benefit Plan, Recognized Net Gain (Loss) Due to Settlements and Curtailments 307.8kalu_LossonsettlementofUnionVEBAnetoftax
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= kalu_UnionVebaMember
 
Income Tax Expense (Benefit) 184.4kalu_IncometaxbenefitonremovalofUnionVEBAnetassets
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Salaried VEBA    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Percent allocation of total contribution between VEBAs 14.50%kalu_PercentAllocationOfTotalContributionBetweenVebas
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= kalu_SalariedVebaMember
 
Variable cash contribution | VEBAs    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Accrued annual contribution to VEBAs   13.7kalu_AccruedAnnualVebaContribution
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= kalu_VebasMember
/ kalu_TypesOfContributionsAxis
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Variable cash contribution | VEBAs | Maximum    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Variable cash contribution obligation to VEBAs 20.0kalu_PostretirementMedicalPlanContributionObligation
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Variable cash contribution | VEBAs | Annual Cash Flows up to $20 Million    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Postretirement medical plan contribution obligation percentage 10.00%kalu_PostretirementMedicalPlanContributionObligationPercentage
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Variable cash contribution | VEBAs | Annual Cash Flows in Excess of $20 Million    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Postretirement medical plan contribution obligation percentage 20.00%kalu_PostretirementMedicalPlanContributionObligationPercentage
/ kalu_ContributionPercentageDeterminationAxis
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/ kalu_TypesOfContributionsAxis
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Variable cash contribution | Union VEBA    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Accrued annual contribution to VEBAs   11.7kalu_AccruedAnnualVebaContribution
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= kalu_UnionVebaMember
/ kalu_TypesOfContributionsAxis
= kalu_VariableCashContributionMember
Variable cash contribution | Salaried VEBA    
VEBA Postretirement Medical Obligations    
Accrued annual contribution to VEBAs   $ 2.0kalu_AccruedAnnualVebaContribution
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