CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) (USD $) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 29, 2015	Mar. 30, 2014
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited) [Abstract]
Product sales	$ 394.7us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet	$ 244.4us-gaap_SalesRevenueGoodsNet
Service revenue	58.6us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet	0us-gaap_SalesRevenueServicesNet
Total net sales	453.3us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet	244.4us-gaap_SalesRevenueNet
Cost of goods sold	292.9us-gaap_CostOfGoodsSold	189.1us-gaap_CostOfGoodsSold
Cost of service revenue	43.8us-gaap_CostOfServices	0us-gaap_CostOfServices
Total cost of sales	336.7us-gaap_CostOfRevenue	189.1us-gaap_CostOfRevenue
Production margin	116.6us-gaap_GrossProfit	55.3us-gaap_GrossProfit
Marketing and administrative expenses	45.5	21.5
Research and development expenses	5.9us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense	5.1us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpense
Amortization expense of intangible assets acquired	1.9	0
Acquisition related transaction and integration costs	3.4	5.1
Income from operations	59.9us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss	23.6us-gaap_OperatingIncomeLoss
Interest expense, net	(15.4)us-gaap_InterestExpense	(0.1)us-gaap_InterestExpense
Other non-operating income (deductions), net	3.2us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense	(0.2)us-gaap_OtherNonoperatingIncomeExpense
Total non-operating deductions, net	(12.2)us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense	(0.3)us-gaap_NonoperatingIncomeExpense
Income before provision for taxes and equity in earnings	47.7	23.3
Provision for taxes on income	12.1us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit	7.0us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Equity in earnings of affiliates, net of tax	0.4	0
Consolidated net income	36.0us-gaap_ProfitLoss	16.3us-gaap_ProfitLoss
Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	0.9	0.7
Net income attributable to Minerals Technologies Inc. (MTI)	$ 35.1us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss	$ 15.6us-gaap_NetIncomeLoss
Earnings per share:
Basic earnings per share attributable to MTI (in dollars per share)	$ 1.01us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic	$ 0.45us-gaap_EarningsPerShareBasic
Diluted earnings per share attributable to MTI (in dollars per share)	$ 1.01us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted	$ 0.45us-gaap_EarningsPerShareDiluted
Cash dividends declared per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.05	$ 0.05
Shares used in computation of earnings per share:
Basic (in shares)	34.7	34.4
Diluted (in shares)	34.9	34.7

The aggregate expense charged against earnings to allocate the cost of intangible assets (nonphysical assets not used in production) in a systematic and rational manner to the periods expected to benefit from such assets. As a noncash expense, this element is added back to net income when calculating cash provided by or used in operations using the indirect method.

No definition available.