Segment Information Summarized Financial Information by Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2016		Mar. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		$ 865,398		$ 884,404
Adjusted EBITDA		244,976		265,628
Depreciation and amortization		(60,552)		(63,986)
Utilization of inventory markup	[1]	(154)		(48,186)
Gain (loss) on sales of businesses, net		121,324	[2]	0
Acquisition and integration related costs	[3]	(21,356)		(59,523)
Interest and financing expenses		(25,251)		(35,746)
Income tax expense		(30,985)		(14,140)
Non-operating pension and OPEB items		184		3,509
Other	[4]			(4,441)
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation		228,186		43,115
All Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		72,089		122,369
Adjusted EBITDA		8,464		13,564
Depreciation and amortization		(612)		(5,498)
Utilization of inventory markup	[1]	0		(2,651)
Gain (loss) on sales of businesses, net	[2]	122,857
Acquisition and integration related costs	[3]	0		0
Interest and financing expenses		0		0
Income tax expense		0		0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items		0		0
Other	[4]			0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation		130,709		5,415
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		1,817		2,412
Adjusted EBITDA		(19,166)		33,339
Depreciation and amortization		(1,336)		(1,899)
Utilization of inventory markup	[1]	0		0
Gain (loss) on sales of businesses, net	[2]	(1,533)
Acquisition and integration related costs	[3]	(21,356)		(59,523)
Interest and financing expenses		(25,251)		(35,746)
Income tax expense		(30,985)		(14,140)
Non-operating pension and OPEB items		184		3,509
Other	[4]			(4,441)
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation		(99,443)		(78,901)
Reportable Segments | Lithium and Advanced Materials
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		216,173		198,774
Adjusted EBITDA		86,474		77,595
Depreciation and amortization		(23,147)		(21,822)
Utilization of inventory markup	[1]	0		(28,582)
Gain (loss) on sales of businesses, net	[2]	0
Acquisition and integration related costs	[3]	0		0
Interest and financing expenses		0		0
Income tax expense		0		0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items		0		0
Other	[4]			0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation		63,327		27,191
Reportable Segments | Bromine Specialties
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		196,553		189,592
Adjusted EBITDA		61,608		52,933
Depreciation and amortization		(9,755)		(8,461)
Utilization of inventory markup	[1]	0		0
Gain (loss) on sales of businesses, net	[2]	0
Acquisition and integration related costs	[3]	0		0
Interest and financing expenses		0		0
Income tax expense		0		0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items		0		0
Other	[4]			0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation		51,853		44,472
Reportable Segments | Refining Solutions
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		170,579		179,166
Adjusted EBITDA		55,074		42,193
Depreciation and amortization		(8,760)		(8,110)
Utilization of inventory markup	[1]	0		0
Gain (loss) on sales of businesses, net	[2]	0
Acquisition and integration related costs	[3]	0		0
Interest and financing expenses		0		0
Income tax expense		0		0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items		0		0
Other	[4]			0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation		46,314		34,083
Reportable Segments | Chemetall Surface Treatment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales		208,187		192,091
Adjusted EBITDA		52,522		46,004
Depreciation and amortization		(16,942)		(18,196)
Utilization of inventory markup	[1]	(154)		(16,953)
Gain (loss) on sales of businesses, net	[2]	0
Acquisition and integration related costs	[3]	0		0
Interest and financing expenses		0		0
Income tax expense		0		0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items		0		0
Other	[4]			0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation		35,426		10,855
Reportable Segments | Reportable Segments Total
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA		255,678		218,725
Depreciation and amortization		(58,604)		(56,589)
Utilization of inventory markup	[1]	(154)		(45,535)
Gain (loss) on sales of businesses, net	[2]	0
Acquisition and integration related costs	[3]	0		0
Interest and financing expenses		0		0
Income tax expense		0		0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items		0		0
Other	[4]			0
Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation		$ 196,920		$ 116,601

[1] In connection with the acquisition of Rockwood, the Company valued Rockwood’s existing inventory at fair value as of the Acquisition Closing Date, which resulted in a markup of the underlying net book value of the inventory totaling approximately $103 million. The inventory markup was expensed over the estimated remaining selling period. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2016, $0.2 million was included in Cost of goods sold related to the utilization of the inventory markup as a result of a measurement-period adjustment. For the three-month period ended March 31, 2015, $40.3 million was included in Cost of goods sold, and Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments was reduced by $7.9 million, respectively, related to the utilization of the inventory markup.

[2] See Note 3, “Divestitures.”

[3] See Note 2, “Acquisitions.”

[4] Financing-related fees expensed in connection with the acquisition of Rockwood.