Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information - Balance Sheets 2 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 207,238		$ 2,489,768	$ 515,119		$ 477,239
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	638,339		385,212
Other accounts receivable	72,241		49,423
Intergroup receivable	0		0
Inventories	602,025		358,361
Other current assets	134,238		66,086
Total current assets	1,654,081		3,348,850
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	4,073,722		2,620,670
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	1,455,185		1,388,802
Net property, plant and equipment	2,618,537		1,231,868
Investments	605,442		194,042
Investment in subsidiaries	0		0
Other assets	183,949		160,956
Goodwill	2,769,619		243,262
Other intangibles, net of amortization	1,939,181		44,125
Intergroup receivable	0
Total assets	9,770,809		5,223,103
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	342,482		231,705
Intergroup payable	0		0
Accrued expenses	505,308		166,174
Current portion of long-term debt	428,000		711,096
Dividends payable	32,288		21,458
Income taxes payable	60,000		9,453
Total current liabilities	1,368,078		1,139,886
Long-term debt, less current portion	3,562,308		2,223,035
Postretirement benefits	55,727		56,424
Pension benefits	455,664		170,534
Intergroup payable	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	246,409		87,705
Deferred income taxes	$ 766,713		$ 56,884
Commitments and contingencies
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	$ 1,122		$ 780
Additional paid-in capital	2,053,516		10,447
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(316,406)	$ (362,282)	(62,413)	99,644	$ 106,927	116,245
Retained earnings	1,440,845		1,410,651
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	3,179,077		1,359,465
Noncontrolling interests	136,833		129,170
Total equity	3,315,910		1,488,635	1,625,090		1,742,776
Total liabilities and equity	9,770,809		5,223,103
4.625% Senior Notes | Parent Company Guarantor
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,983		1,930,802	12,831		88,476
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	109,672		91,849
Other accounts receivable	11,227		19,033
Intergroup receivable	65,276		74,102
Inventories	200,502		201,006
Other current assets	132,768		45,901
Total current assets	521,428		2,362,693
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	1,754,607		1,726,690
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	1,075,510		1,047,372
Net property, plant and equipment	679,097		679,318
Investments	75,826		73,500
Investment in subsidiaries	7,071,155		1,551,071
Other assets	27,847		35,837
Goodwill	49,212		49,212
Other intangibles, net of amortization	19,732		20,834
Intergroup receivable	0
Total assets	8,444,297		4,772,465
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	118,214		122,479
Intergroup payable	181,822		18,097
Accrued expenses	153,854		84,619
Current portion of long-term debt	418,455		692,280
Dividends payable	32,288		21,458
Income taxes payable	0		1,396
Total current liabilities	904,633		940,329
Long-term debt, less current portion	2,231,467		2,214,755
Postretirement benefits	55,727		56,424
Pension benefits	123,131		128,238
Intergroup payable	1,804,806
Other noncurrent liabilities	54,448		51,936
Deferred income taxes	91,008		21,318
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	1,122		780
Additional paid-in capital	2,053,516		10,447
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(316,406)		(62,413)
Retained earnings	1,440,845		1,410,651
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	3,179,077		1,359,465
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	3,179,077		1,359,465
Total liabilities and equity	8,444,297		4,772,465
4.625% Senior Notes | Issuer
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,184		0	0		0
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0		0
Other accounts receivable	23,749		0
Intergroup receivable	7,028		0
Inventories	0		0
Other current assets	0		0
Total current assets	31,961		0
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Net property, plant and equipment	0		0
Investments	4,891		0
Investment in subsidiaries	4,798,580		0
Other assets	9,026		0
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangibles, net of amortization	0		0
Intergroup receivable	3,293,563
Total assets	8,138,021		0
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Intergroup payable	75		0
Accrued expenses	119,034		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Dividends payable	0		0
Income taxes payable	101,628		0
Total current liabilities	220,737		0
Long-term debt, less current portion	1,289,543		0
Postretirement benefits	0		0
Pension benefits	0		0
Intergroup payable	155,535
Other noncurrent liabilities	57,900		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	0		0
Additional paid-in capital	6,605,919		0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(217,337)		0
Retained earnings	25,724		0
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	6,414,306		0
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	6,414,306		0
Total liabilities and equity	8,138,021		0
4.625% Senior Notes | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	0		0
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0		0
Other accounts receivable	0		0
Intergroup receivable	0		0
Inventories	0		0
Other current assets	0		0
Total current assets	0		0
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Net property, plant and equipment	0		0
Investments	0		0
Investment in subsidiaries	6,414,305		0
Other assets	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangibles, net of amortization	0		0
Intergroup receivable	2,227
Total assets	6,416,532		0
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Intergroup payable	82		0
Accrued expenses	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Dividends payable	0		0
Income taxes payable	0		0
Total current liabilities	82		0
Long-term debt, less current portion	0		0
Postretirement benefits	0		0
Pension benefits	0		0
Intergroup payable	863,757
Other noncurrent liabilities	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	0		0
Additional paid-in capital	5,744,307		0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(217,338)		0
Retained earnings	25,724		0
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	5,552,693		0
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	5,552,693		0
Total liabilities and equity	6,416,532		0
4.625% Senior Notes | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	204,071		558,966	502,288		388,763
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	528,667		293,363
Other accounts receivable	37,265		30,390
Intergroup receivable	117,287		18,097
Inventories	414,786		171,543
Other current assets	103,100		25,111
Total current assets	1,405,176		1,097,470
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	2,319,115		893,980
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	379,675		341,430
Net property, plant and equipment	1,939,440		552,550
Investments	524,725		120,542
Investment in subsidiaries	6,414,305		0
Other assets	152,852		125,119
Goodwill	2,720,407		194,050
Other intangibles, net of amortization	1,919,449		23,291
Intergroup receivable	1,841,271
Total assets	16,917,625		2,113,022
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	224,268		109,226
Intergroup payable	7,612		74,102
Accrued expenses	232,420		81,555
Current portion of long-term debt	9,545		18,816
Dividends payable	0		0
Income taxes payable	60,892		7,944
Total current liabilities	534,737		291,643
Long-term debt, less current portion	41,298		8,280
Postretirement benefits	0		0
Pension benefits	332,533		42,296
Intergroup payable	2,312,963
Other noncurrent liabilities	134,061		35,769
Deferred income taxes	681,482		35,566
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	6,808		6,808
Additional paid-in capital	12,139,318		553,172
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(595,513)		(51,073)
Retained earnings	1,193,105		1,061,391
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	12,743,718		1,570,298
Noncontrolling interests	136,833		129,170
Total equity	12,880,551		1,699,468
Total liabilities and equity	16,917,625		2,113,022
4.625% Senior Notes | Consolidating Adjustments
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0	$ 0		$ 0
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0		0
Other accounts receivable	0		0
Intergroup receivable	(189,591)		(92,199)
Inventories	(13,263)		(14,188)
Other current assets	(101,630)		(4,926)
Total current assets	(304,484)		(111,313)
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	0		0
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	0		0
Net property, plant and equipment	0		0
Investments	0		0
Investment in subsidiaries	(24,698,345)		(1,551,071)
Other assets	(5,776)		0
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangibles, net of amortization	0		0
Intergroup receivable	(5,137,061)
Total assets	(30,145,666)		(1,662,384)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Intergroup payable	(189,591)		(92,199)
Accrued expenses	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Dividends payable	0		0
Income taxes payable	(102,520)		113
Total current liabilities	(292,111)		(92,086)
Long-term debt, less current portion	0		0
Postretirement benefits	0		0
Pension benefits	0		0
Intergroup payable	(5,137,061)
Other noncurrent liabilities	0		0
Deferred income taxes	(5,777)		0
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	(6,808)		(6,808)
Additional paid-in capital	(24,489,544)		(553,172)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	1,030,188		51,073
Retained earnings	(1,244,553)		(1,061,391)
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	(24,710,717)		(1,570,298)
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	(24,710,717)		(1,570,298)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (30,145,666)		$ (1,662,384)