Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information - Statements of Income 1 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 931,485	$ 604,721	$ 1,815,889	$ 1,204,564
Cost of goods sold	630,919	397,358	1,256,857	801,602
Gross profit	300,566	207,363	559,032	402,962
Selling, general and administrative expenses	147,712	67,011	283,477	145,115
Research and development expenses	25,336	21,937	51,828	44,509
Restructuring and other charges, net	0	3,332	0	20,332
Acquisition and integration related costs	24,166	4,843	83,689	4,843
Intercompany service fee	0	0	0	0
Operating profit	103,352	110,240	140,038	188,163
Interest and financing expenses	(33,182)	(8,733)	(68,928)	(17,506)
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	0	0	0	0
Other income (expenses), net	541	(979)	50,498	164
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	70,711	100,528	121,608	170,821
Income tax expense (benefit)	17,139	21,773	31,279	34,963
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	53,572	78,755	90,329	135,858
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	5,794	10,649	16,186	19,550
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	59,366	89,404	106,515	155,408
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	(60,025)	0	(61,794)
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	59,366	29,379	106,515	93,614
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(7,219)	(6,932)	(11,253)	(14,584)
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	52,147	22,447	95,262	79,030
2014 Senior Notes | Issuer
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	374,220	419,135	752,392	795,459
Cost of goods sold	256,868	267,984	514,992	529,577
Gross profit	117,352	151,151	237,400	265,882
Selling, general and administrative expenses	46,353	42,806	86,870	98,575
Research and development expenses	12,901	13,657	26,269	27,813
Restructuring and other charges, net		7,246		10,246
Acquisition and integration related costs	19,289	4,843	58,169	4,843
Intercompany service fee	5,978	6,938	11,643	12,008
Operating profit	32,831	75,661	54,449	112,397
Interest and financing expenses	(21,865)	(8,731)	(48,521)	(17,529)
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	(8,532)	6,010	(14,446)	6,010
Other income (expenses), net	(19,624)	782	8,944	990
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	(17,190)	73,722	426	101,868
Income tax expense (benefit)	(2,549)	22,149	8,343	32,520
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	(14,641)	51,573	(7,917)	69,348
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	1,738	1,993	3,757	3,929
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(12,903)	53,566	(4,160)	73,277
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	(20,744)	0	(21,157)
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	65,050	(10,375)	99,422	26,910
Net income	52,147	22,447	95,262	79,030
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	52,147	22,447	95,262	79,030
2014 Senior Notes | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of goods sold	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	46	0	46	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring and other charges, net		0		0
Acquisition and integration related costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany service fee	0	0	0	0
Operating profit	(46)	0	(46)	0
Interest and financing expenses	(12,940)	0	(23,711)	0
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	16,654	0	25,715	0
Other income (expenses), net	18,832	0	(31,220)	0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	22,500	0	(29,262)	0
Income tax expense (benefit)	9,900	0	2,972	0
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	12,600	0	(32,234)	0
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	12,600	0	(32,234)	0
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	0	0	0
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	21,052	0	83,682	0
Net income	33,652	0	51,448	0
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	33,652	0	51,448	0
2014 Senior Notes | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	732,025	361,253	1,419,640	745,084
Cost of goods sold	548,811	308,216	1,095,587	611,577
Gross profit	183,214	53,037	324,053	133,507
Selling, general and administrative expenses	101,313	24,205	196,561	46,540
Research and development expenses	12,435	8,280	25,559	16,696
Restructuring and other charges, net		(3,914)		10,086
Acquisition and integration related costs	4,877	0	25,520	0
Intercompany service fee	(5,978)	(6,938)	(11,643)	(12,008)
Operating profit	70,567	31,404	88,056	72,193
Interest and financing expenses	1,623	(2)	3,304	23
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	(8,122)	(6,010)	(11,269)	(6,010)
Other income (expenses), net	1,333	(1,761)	72,774	(826)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	65,401	23,631	152,865	65,380
Income tax expense (benefit)	9,788	(1,536)	20,856	1,138
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	55,613	25,167	132,009	64,242
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	4,056	8,656	12,429	15,621
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	59,669	33,823	144,438	79,863
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	(39,281)	0	(40,637)
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	16,826	0	25,724	0
Net income	76,495	(5,458)	170,162	39,226
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	(7,219)	(6,932)	(11,253)	(14,584)
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	69,276	(12,390)	158,909	24,642
2014 Senior Notes | Consolidating Adjustments
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	(174,760)	(175,667)	(356,143)	(335,979)
Cost of goods sold	(174,760)	(178,842)	(353,722)	(339,552)
Gross profit	0	3,175	(2,421)	3,573
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Research and development expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring and other charges, net		0		0
Acquisition and integration related costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany service fee	0	0	0	0
Operating profit	0	3,175	(2,421)	3,573
Interest and financing expenses	0	0	0	0
Intergroup interest and financing expenses	0	0	0	0
Other income (expenses), net	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	0	3,175	(2,421)	3,573
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	1,160	(892)	1,305
Income from continuing operations before equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	0	2,015	(1,529)	2,268
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	0	2,015	(1,529)	2,268
Loss from discontinued operations (net of tax)	0	0	0	0
Equity in undistributed earnings of subsidiaries	(102,928)	10,375	(208,828)	(26,910)
Net income	(102,928)	12,390	(210,357)	(24,642)
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests	0	0	0	0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation	$ (102,928)	$ 12,390	$ (210,357)	$ (24,642)