2.4.0.82104100 - Disclosure - Income Taxestruefalsefalse1false falsefalseD2013Q2YTDhttp://www.sec.gov/CIK0000090185duration2013-01-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1us-gaap_IncomeTaxExpenseBenefitContinuingOperationsAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Continuing Operations [Abstract]2false 2us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseverboseLabel1falsefalsefalse00<div style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:10pt;"><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:12px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;"></font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Income Taxes</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;font-weight:bold;"> </font></div><div style="line-height:120%;padding-top:12px;font-size:10pt;"><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">There were no material changes in the unrecognized tax benefits of the Company during the </font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;color:#000000;text-decoration:none;">three and six months ended June 30, 2013</font><font style="font-family:inherit;font-size:10pt;">.</font></div></div>falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for income taxes. Disclosures may include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Article 4 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32559-109319 false0Income TaxesfalseIncome TaxesUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.sigmaaldrich.com/role/IncomeTaxes12