Segment Information (Summarized Segment Information) (Detail) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended						6 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Dec. 31, 2011
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales from segments	$ 404.3			$ 347.7			$ 782.5		$ 683.7
Total consolidated net sales	404.0			347.3			782.0		683.0
Total earnings from operations	44.5			32.2			96.2		63.4
Percentage of sales	11.00%			9.00%			12.00%		9.00%
Restructuring charges	11.5		(0.1)	0.3			11.4		0.4		0.8
Accelerated depreciation							28.1		21.9
Gains on sale of assets						3.3			3.3
Engineered Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales from segments	229.7			190.0			448.4		377.0
Total earnings from operations	38.7			28.1			83.7		53.2
Percentage of sales	17.00%			15.00%			19.00%		14.00%
In-Process Separation
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales from segments	100.2			81.9			191.8		160.3
Total earnings from operations	27.1			15.6			50.0		32.0
Percentage of sales	27.00%			19.00%			26.00%		20.00%
Additive Technologies
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales to external customers	74.1			75.4			141.8		145.7
Intersegment sales	0.3			0.4			0.5		0.7
Total earnings from operations	13.7			10.6			20.1		19.1
Percentage of sales	18.00%			14.00%			14.00%		13.00%
Elimination Of Intersegment Revenue
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Intersegment sales	(0.3)			(0.4)			(0.5)		(0.7)
Reportable Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total earnings from operations	79.5			54.3			153.8		104.3
Percentage of sales	20.00%			16.00%			20.00%		15.00%
Unallocated Amount to Segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total earnings from operations	(35.0)	[1]		(22.1)	[1]		(57.6)	[1]	(40.9)	[1]
Business combination acquisition costs	2.9						2.9
Restructuring charges	11.6			0.3			11.4		0.4
Gains on sale of assets									3.3
Unallocated Amount to Segment | Stamford Facility
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Accelerated depreciation	0.7						1.3
Discontinued Operations | Former Coatings Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Costs allocated to a former business	17.6			17.5			34.8		34.6
Discontinued Operations | Former BBC Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Costs allocated to a former business				$ 0					$ 1.0

[1] For the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, corporate and unallocated includes restructuring charges of $11.6 and $11.4, respectively, across corporate functions to mitigate continuing costs following the anticipated sale of Coating Resins, charges of $2.9 related to costs incurred for the acquisition of Umeco, and accelerated depreciation of $0.7 and $1.3, respectively, for the sale of our Stamford facility treated as a financing transaction. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2011, Corporate and Unallocated includes net pre-tax charges of $0.3 and $0.4, respectively, for restructuring charges, and a gain on the sale of assets of a certain Latin American subsidiary for $3.3 for the six months ended June 30, 2011. Corporate and unallocated also included costs previously allocated to the operations of our discontinued Coating Resins segment of $17.6 and $34.8 for three and six months ended June 30, 2012, and $17.5 and $34.6 for three and six months ended June 30, 2011. It also included costs previously allocated to the operations of our discontinued Building Block Chemicals segment of $0.0 and $1.0 for three and six months ended June 30, 2011.