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Long-Term Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)
3 Months Ended 1 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
Mar. 31, 2014
Jan. 31, 2015
Feb. 01, 2015
Dec. 31, 2014
Jan. 12, 2015
Jan. 20, 2005
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt $ 1,000,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt $ 0us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt          
Repayments of long-term debt 1,326,263,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt 101,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt          
Commercial paper notes 461,717,000us-gaap_CommercialPaper       367,178,000us-gaap_CommercialPaper    
Weighted average interest rate 0.87%us-gaap_LongtermDebtWeightedAverageInterestRate            
Weighted average maturity period 21 days            
Net investment hedge, gain (loss) 54,046,000us-gaap_TranslationAdjustmentForNetInvestmentHedgeIncreaseDecreaseNetOfTax 0us-gaap_TranslationAdjustmentForNetInvestmentHedgeIncreaseDecreaseNetOfTax          
Debt financing costs 1,164,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfFinancingCosts 1,370,000us-gaap_PaymentsOfFinancingCosts          
Revolving Credit Facility              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt     250,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
       
Repayments of long-term debt 250,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
           
Bridge Loan              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt Related Commitment Fees and Debt Issuance Costs 2,300,000us-gaap_DebtRelatedCommitmentFeesAndDebtIssuanceCosts
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= us-gaap_BridgeLoanMember
           
4.625% Senior Notes              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument, face amount           1,250,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
 
Debt instrument, interest rate 4.625%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
        4.625%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
 
Unamortized Premium 42,102,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedPremium
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
        43,700,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedPremium
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
 
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Effective Percentage           3.95%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
 
5.10% Senior Notes              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument, interest rate         5.10%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_FivePointOneZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember
  5.10%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_FivePointOneZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember
Repayments of long-term debt       325,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_FivePointOneZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember
     
1.875% Senior Notes              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Debt instrument, interest rate 1.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_OnePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
      1.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_OnePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember
   
Short-term Debt | Term Loan              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt     1,000,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_TermLoanMember
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
       
Repayments of long-term debt 1,000,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= alb_TermLoanMember
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember
           
Senior Unsecured Cash Bridge Facility | Bridge Loan              
Debt Instrument [Line Items]              
Proceeds from Issuance of Long-term Debt     800,000,000us-gaap_ProceedsFromIssuanceOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= us-gaap_BridgeLoanMember
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= alb_SeniorUnsecuredCashBridgeFacilityMember
       
Repayments of long-term debt $ 800,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= us-gaap_BridgeLoanMember
/ us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis
= alb_SeniorUnsecuredCashBridgeFacilityMember