Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016		Mar. 31, 2015
Statement of Cash Flows [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	$ 213,734		$ 2,489,768
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	235,548		47,149
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	60,552		63,986
Gain on sales of businesses, net	(121,324)	[1]	0
Stock-based compensation	4,007		4,912
Excess tax benefits realized from stock-based compensation arrangements	0		(23)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments (net of tax)	(16,566)		(10,392)
Dividends received from unconsolidated investments and nonmarketable securities	200		3,048
Pension and postretirement expense (benefit)	1,389		(1,458)
Pension and postretirement contributions	(4,224)		(5,986)
Unrealized loss (gain) on investments in marketable securities	1,044		(462)
Deferred income taxes	816		(32,845)
Working capital changes	10,467		28,881
Other, net	799		(51,019)
Net cash provided by operating activities	172,708		45,791
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of Rockwood, net of cash acquired	0		(2,051,645)
Other acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0		(45,550)
Cash payments related to acquisitions and other	(81,988)		0
Capital expenditures	(58,120)		(56,741)
Decrease in restricted cash	0		57,550
Cash proceeds from divestitures, net	307,165		0
Sales of marketable securities, net	1,191		1,557
Repayments from joint ventures	0		2,156
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	168,248		(2,092,673)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of long-term debt	(331,595)		(1,326,263)
Proceeds from borrowings of long-term debt	0		1,000,000
Other borrowings, net	68,829		167,571
Dividends paid to shareholders	(32,541)		(21,730)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	0		90
Excess tax benefits realized from stock-based compensation arrangements	0		23
Withholding taxes paid on stock-based compensation award distributions	(1,969)		(1,174)
Debt financing costs	0		(1,164)
Net cash used in financing activities	(297,276)		(182,647)
Net effect of foreign exchange on cash and cash equivalents	(5,032)		1,182
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	38,648		(2,228,347)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 252,382		$ 261,421

[1] See Note 3, “Divestitures.”