Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 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 income	70,491	177,387
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	176,499	200,372
Gain associated with restructuring and other	0	(6,804)
Gain on sales of businesses, net	(122,298)	0
Stock-based compensation	13,818	11,171
Excess tax benefits realized from stock-based compensation arrangements	(1,679)	(59)
Equity in net income of unconsolidated investments (net of tax)	(46,224)	(22,236)
Dividends received from unconsolidated investments and nonmarketable securities	34,982	57,149
Pension and postretirement expense (benefit)	7,911	(232)
Pension and postretirement contributions	(13,649)	(16,673)
Unrealized gain on investments in marketable securities	(3,281)	(597)
Deferred income taxes	404,728	(53,593)
Working capital changes	(79,684)	14,823
Other, net	10,821	(43,805)
Net cash provided by operating activities	452,435	316,903
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	(141,301)	(164,568)
Decrease in restricted cash	0	57,550
Cash proceeds from divestitures, net	310,599	6,133
Return of capital from unconsolidated investment	0	98,000
Sales of marketable securities, net	822	1,265
Repayments from joint ventures	0	2,156
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	88,132	(2,099,954)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of long-term debt	(382,730)	(1,332,293)
Proceeds from borrowings of long-term debt	0	1,000,000
Repayments of other borrowings, net	(9,026)	(16,854)
Dividends paid to shareholders	(101,061)	(86,770)
Dividends paid to noncontrolling interests	(23,873)	(23,195)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	6,779	342
Excess tax benefits realized from stock-based compensation arrangements	1,679	59
Withholding taxes paid on stock-based compensation award distributions	(2,008)	(1,218)
Debt financing costs	0	(4,186)
Other	0	(3,882)
Net cash used in financing activities	(510,240)	(467,997)
Net effect of foreign exchange on cash and cash equivalents	(10,462)	(4,230)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	19,865	(2,255,278)
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 233,599	$ 234,490