Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information - Statement of Income (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended													12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014		Sep. 30, 2014		Jun. 30, 2014		Mar. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 598,566		$ 642,418		$ 604,721		$ 599,843		$ 639,635		$ 591,196	$ 576,842	$ 586,597	$ 2,445,548	[1]	$ 2,394,270	[1]	$ 2,519,154	[1]
Cost of goods sold														1,674,700		1,543,799		1,620,311
Gross profit	162,440		205,446		207,363		195,599		253,279		209,611	191,670	195,911	770,848		850,471		898,843
Selling, general and administrative expenses														355,135		158,189		308,456
Research and development expenses														88,310		82,246		78,919
Restructuring and other charges, net	5,322	[2]	293	[2]	3,332	[2]	17,000	[2]	33,361	[2]	0	0	0	25,947	[2]	33,361	[2]	111,685	[2]
Acquisition and integration related costs	15,054	[3]	10,261	[3]	4,843	[3]	0							30,158	[3]	0	[3]	0	[3]
Intercompany service fee														0		0		0
Operating profit														271,298		576,675		399,783
Interest and financing expenses														(41,358)		(31,559)		(32,800)
Intergroup interest and financing expenses																0
Other (expenses) income, net														(16,761)		(6,674)		1,229
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														213,179		538,442		368,212
Income tax expense (benefit)														18,484		134,445		80,433
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														194,695		403,997		287,779
Total equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														35,742		31,729		38,067
Net income from continuing operations	(12,990)		88,019		89,404		66,004		162,232		97,313	88,500	87,681	230,437		435,726		325,846
(Loss) income from discontinued operations (net of tax)	(1,058)	[4]	(6,679)	[4]	(60,025)	[4]	(1,769)	[4]	(886)		531	2,628	1,835	(69,531)		4,108		4,281
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries														0		0		0
Net income														160,906		439,834		330,127
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(4,460)		(8,546)		(6,932)		(7,652)		(5,413)		(7,332)	(8,389)	(5,529)	(27,590)		(26,663)		(18,591)
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	(18,508)		72,794		22,447		56,583		155,933		90,512	82,739	83,987	133,316		413,171		311,536
Issuer
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales														1,565,965		1,563,483		1,726,884
Cost of goods sold														1,095,072		1,025,989		1,093,330
Gross profit														470,893		537,494		633,554
Selling, general and administrative expenses														252,098		60,818		204,029
Research and development expenses														55,856		51,794		47,763
Restructuring and other charges, net														9,871		23,880		12,711
Acquisition and integration related costs														30,158
Intercompany service fee														26,123		18,038		26,132
Operating profit														96,787		382,964		342,919
Interest and financing expenses														(41,361)		(33,537)		(33,193)
Intergroup interest and financing expenses																(87)
Other (expenses) income, net														(10,534)		(9,281)		(2,731)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														44,892		340,059		306,995
Income tax expense (benefit)														5,464		128,645		80,444
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														39,428		211,414		226,551
Total equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														6,956		6,940		8,863
Net income from continuing operations														46,384		218,354		235,414
(Loss) income from discontinued operations (net of tax)														(19,373)		6,906		8,987
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries														106,305		187,911		67,135
Net income														133,316		413,171		311,536
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests														0		0		0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation														133,316		413,171		311,536
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales														0		0		0
Cost of goods sold														0		0		0
Gross profit														0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative expenses														0		0		0
Research and development expenses														0		0		0
Restructuring and other charges, net														0		0		0
Acquisition and integration related costs														0
Intercompany service fee														0		0		0
Operating profit														0		0		0
Interest and financing expenses														0		0		0
Intergroup interest and financing expenses																0
Other (expenses) income, net														0		0		0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														0		0		0
Income tax expense (benefit)														0		0		0
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														0		0		0
Total equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														0		0		0
Net income from continuing operations														0		0		0
(Loss) income from discontinued operations (net of tax)														0		0		0
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries														0		0		0
Net income														0		0		0
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests														0		0		0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation														0		0		0
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales														1,565,241		1,437,664		1,560,043
Cost of goods sold														1,269,415		1,131,158		1,297,875
Gross profit														295,826		306,506		262,168
Selling, general and administrative expenses														103,037		97,371		104,427
Research and development expenses														32,454		30,452		31,156
Restructuring and other charges, net														16,076		9,481		98,974
Acquisition and integration related costs														0
Intercompany service fee														(26,123)		(18,038)		(26,132)
Operating profit														170,382		187,240		53,743
Interest and financing expenses														3		1,978		393
Intergroup interest and financing expenses																87
Other (expenses) income, net														(6,227)		2,607		3,960
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														164,158		191,912		58,096
Income tax expense (benefit)														11,513		3,436		(1,150)
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														152,645		188,476		59,246
Total equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														28,786		24,789		29,204
Net income from continuing operations														181,431		213,265		88,450
(Loss) income from discontinued operations (net of tax)														(50,158)		(2,798)		(4,706)
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries														0		0		0
Net income														131,273		210,467		83,744
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests														(27,590)		(26,663)		(18,591)
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation														103,683		183,804		65,153
Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales														(685,658)		(606,877)		(767,773)
Cost of goods sold														(689,787)		(613,348)		(770,894)
Gross profit														4,129		6,471		3,121
Selling, general and administrative expenses														0		0		0
Research and development expenses														0		0		0
Restructuring and other charges, net														0		0		0
Acquisition and integration related costs														0
Intercompany service fee														0		0		0
Operating profit														4,129		6,471		3,121
Interest and financing expenses														0		0		0
Intergroup interest and financing expenses																0
Other (expenses) income, net														0		0		0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														4,129		6,471		3,121
Income tax expense (benefit)														1,507		2,364		1,139
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														2,622		4,107		1,982
Total equity in net income of unconsolidated investments														0		0		0
Net income from continuing operations														2,622		4,107		1,982
(Loss) income from discontinued operations (net of tax)														0		0		0
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries														(106,305)		(187,911)		(67,135)
Net income														(103,683)		(183,804)		(65,153)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests														0		0		0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation														$ (103,683)		$ (183,804)		$ (65,153)

[1] No sales in a foreign country exceed 10% of total net sales. Also, net sales are attributed to countries based upon shipments to final destination.

[2] See Note 20, “Restructuring and Other.”

[3] See Note 23, “Acquisitions.”

[4] Included in Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax) for the year ended December 31, 2014 is $(65.7) million related to the loss on the sale of our antioxidant, ibuprofen and propofol businesses and assets, the majority of which was recorded in the second quarter. See Note 2, “Discontinued Operations.”