Consolidating Guarantor Financial Information - Balance Sheets 1 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 234,490		$ 2,489,768	$ 653,120		$ 477,239
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	618,301		385,212
Other accounts receivable	76,271		49,423
Intergroup receivable	0		0
Inventories	629,393		358,361
Other current assets	162,460		66,086
Total current assets	1,720,915		3,348,850
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	4,096,921		2,620,670
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	1,496,069		1,388,802
Net property, plant and equipment	2,600,852		1,231,868
Investments	453,869		194,042
Investment in subsidiaries	0		0
Other assets	191,349		160,956
Goodwill	2,811,086		243,262
Other intangibles, net of amortization	1,896,993		44,125
Intergroup receivable	0
Total assets	9,675,064		5,223,103
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	371,649		231,705
Intergroup payable	0		0
Accrued expenses	566,932		166,174
Current portion of long-term debt	284,368		711,096
Dividends payable	32,295		21,458
Income taxes payable	67,304		9,453
Total current liabilities	1,322,548		1,139,886
Long-term debt, less current portion	3,558,964		2,223,035
Postretirement benefits	55,401		56,424
Pension benefits	451,056		170,534
Intergroup payable	0
Other noncurrent liabilities	250,737		87,705
Deferred income taxes	$ 761,844		$ 56,884
Commitments and contingencies
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	$ 1,122		$ 780
Additional paid-in capital	2,056,082		10,447
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(386,413)	$ (316,406)	(62,413)	(1,651)	$ 99,644	116,245
Retained earnings	1,473,698		1,410,651
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	3,144,489		1,359,465
Noncontrolling interests	130,025		129,170
Total equity	3,274,514		1,488,635	1,587,271		1,742,776
Total liabilities and equity	9,675,064		5,223,103
2014 Senior Notes | Issuer
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	4,416		1,930,802	110,879		88,476
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	92,694		91,849
Other accounts receivable	15,031		19,033
Intergroup receivable	191,295		74,102
Inventories	207,445		201,006
Other current assets	51,717		45,901
Total current assets	562,598		2,362,693
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	1,765,817		1,726,690
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	1,087,130		1,047,372
Net property, plant and equipment	678,687		679,318
Investments	74,429		73,500
Investment in subsidiaries	7,073,096		1,551,071
Other assets	30,572		35,837
Goodwill	49,212		49,212
Other intangibles, net of amortization	19,265		20,834
Intergroup receivable	0
Total assets	8,487,859		4,772,465
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	121,835		122,479
Intergroup payable	365,452		18,097
Accrued expenses	189,637		84,619
Current portion of long-term debt	272,994		692,280
Dividends payable	32,295		21,458
Income taxes payable	0		1,396
Total current liabilities	982,213		940,329
Long-term debt, less current portion	2,230,720		2,214,755
Postretirement benefits	55,401		56,424
Pension benefits	120,593		128,238
Intergroup payable	1,810,546
Other noncurrent liabilities	53,933		51,936
Deferred income taxes	89,964		21,318
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	1,122		780
Additional paid-in capital	2,056,082		10,447
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(386,413)		(62,413)
Retained earnings	1,473,698		1,410,651
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	3,144,489		1,359,465
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	3,144,489		1,359,465
Total liabilities and equity	8,487,859		4,772,465
2014 Senior Notes | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,103		0	0		0
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	0		0
Other accounts receivable	23,915		0
Intergroup receivable	12,455		0
Inventories	0		0
Other current assets	0		0
Total current assets	37,473		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	11,164,495		0
Other assets	3,250		0
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangibles, net of amortization	0		0
Intergroup receivable	3,307,998
Total assets	14,518,107		0
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Intergroup payable	102,086		0
Accrued expenses	137,161		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Dividends payable	0		0
Income taxes payable	11,076		0
Total current liabilities	250,323		0
Long-term debt, less current portion	1,287,643		0
Postretirement benefits	0		0
Pension benefits	0		0
Intergroup payable	1,019,458
Other noncurrent liabilities	57,995		0
Deferred income taxes	3,031		0
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	0		0
Additional paid-in capital	12,350,226		0
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(538,439)		0
Retained earnings	87,870		0
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	11,899,657		0
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	11,899,657		0
Total liabilities and equity	14,518,107		0
2014 Senior Notes | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	228,971		558,966	542,241		388,763
Trade accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts	525,607		293,363
Other accounts receivable	37,325		30,390
Intergroup receivable	352,388		18,097
Inventories	435,211		171,543
Other current assets	121,821		25,111
Total current assets	1,701,323		1,097,470
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	2,331,104		893,980
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	408,939		341,430
Net property, plant and equipment	1,922,165		552,550
Investments	374,549		120,542
Investment in subsidiaries	6,380,635		0
Other assets	157,527		125,119
Goodwill	2,761,874		194,050
Other intangibles, net of amortization	1,877,728		23,291
Intergroup receivable	1,847,122
Total assets	17,022,923		2,113,022
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	249,814		109,226
Intergroup payable	88,600		74,102
Accrued expenses	240,134		81,555
Current portion of long-term debt	11,374		18,816
Dividends payable	0		0
Income taxes payable	68,196		7,944
Total current liabilities	658,118		291,643
Long-term debt, less current portion	40,601		8,280
Postretirement benefits	0		0
Pension benefits	330,463		42,296
Intergroup payable	2,325,116
Other noncurrent liabilities	138,809		35,769
Deferred income taxes	668,849		35,566
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	6,808		6,808
Additional paid-in capital	12,159,684		553,172
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(713,001)		(51,073)
Retained earnings	1,277,451		1,061,391
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	12,730,942		1,570,298
Noncontrolling interests	130,025		129,170
Total equity	12,860,967		1,699,468
Total liabilities and equity	17,022,923		2,113,022
2014 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	(556,138)		(92,199)
Inventories	(13,263)		(14,188)
Other current assets	(11,078)		(4,926)
Total current assets	(580,479)		(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	(24,618,226)		(1,551,071)
Other assets	0		0
Goodwill	0		0
Other intangibles, net of amortization	0		0
Intergroup receivable	(5,155,120)
Total assets	(30,353,825)		(1,662,384)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	0		0
Intergroup payable	(556,138)		(92,199)
Accrued expenses	0		0
Current portion of long-term debt	0		0
Dividends payable	0		0
Income taxes payable	(11,968)		113
Total current liabilities	(568,106)		(92,086)
Long-term debt, less current portion	0		0
Postretirement benefits	0		0
Pension benefits	0		0
Intergroup payable	(5,155,120)
Other noncurrent liabilities	0		0
Deferred income taxes	0		0
Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity:
Common stock	(6,808)		(6,808)
Additional paid-in capital	(24,509,910)		(553,172)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	1,251,440		51,073
Retained earnings	(1,365,321)		(1,061,391)
Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity	(24,630,599)		(1,570,298)
Noncontrolling interests	0		0
Total equity	(24,630,599)		(1,570,298)
Total liabilities and equity	$ (30,353,825)		$ (1,662,384)