Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 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 (loss) income	(67,206)	106,495
Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	128,505	131,469
Gain on sales of businesses, net	(122,298)	0
Stock-based compensation	8,733	9,193
Excess tax benefits realized from stock-based compensation arrangements	(348)	(59)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments (net of tax)	(30,861)	(16,186)
Dividends received from unconsolidated investments and nonmarketable securities	31,522	45,526
Pension and postretirement expense (benefit)	3,390	(1,071)
Pension and postretirement contributions	(9,524)	(10,973)
Unrealized gain on investments in marketable securities	(10)	(571)
Deferred income taxes	414,736	(41,207)
Working capital changes	(108,016)	(44,932)
Other, net	3,878	(44,501)
Net cash provided by operating activities	252,501	133,183
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisition of Rockwood, net of cash acquired	0	(2,051,645)
Other acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0	(48,845)
Cash payments related to acquisitions and other	(81,988)	0
Capital expenditures	(99,509)	(111,723)
Decrease in restricted cash	0	57,550
Cash proceeds from divestitures, net	310,599	0
Sales of marketable securities, net	969	1,433
Repayments from joint ventures	0	2,156
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	130,071	(2,151,074)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of long-term debt	(382,162)	(1,331,648)
Proceeds from borrowings of long-term debt	0	1,000,000
Other borrowings, net	67,865	133,699
Dividends paid to shareholders	(66,791)	(54,238)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests	(17,052)	(8,282)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	4,939	342
Excess tax benefits realized from stock-based compensation arrangements	348	59
Withholding taxes paid on stock-based compensation award distributions	(1,982)	(1,218)
Debt financing costs	0	(1,164)
Other	0	(3,882)
Net cash used in financing activities	(394,835)	(266,332)
Net effect of foreign exchange on cash and cash equivalents	(7,810)	1,693
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(20,073)	(2,282,530)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 193,661	$ 207,238