Segment and Geographic Area Information Summarized Financial Information by Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 921,699	$ 777,748	$ 853,874	$ 821,629	$ 857,789	$ 754,866	$ 737,258	$ 722,063	$ 3,374,950	$ 3,071,976	$ 2,677,203
Adjusted EBITDA									1,006,664	885,480	758,217
Net income (loss) attributable to Albemarle Corporation	(129,596)	(129,745)	(302,461)	(131,760)	$ 218,366	$ (118,670)	$ (103,333)	$ (51,213)	(693,562)	(54,850)	(643,675)
Depreciation and amortization									200,698	196,928	226,169
(Gain) loss on sales of businesses, net	$ 8,277	$ 0	$ (218,705)	$ 0					(210,428)	0	(122,298)
Gain on acquisition									0	(6,221)	0
Acquisition and integration related costs									0	0	57,384
Interest and financing expenses									52,405	115,350	65,181
Income tax expense									144,826	431,817	96,263
Income from discontinued operations (net of tax)									0	0	(202,131)
Note receivable reserve									28,700	28,700
Reportable Segments | Lithium
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,228,171	1,018,885	668,852
Adjusted EBITDA									530,773	446,652	285,714
Depreciation and amortization									95,193	87,879	86,862
Reportable Segments | Bromine Specialties
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									917,880	855,143	792,425
Adjusted EBITDA									288,116	258,901	226,926
Depreciation and amortization									41,607	40,062	39,562
Reportable Segments | Catalysts
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									1,101,554	1,067,572	1,031,501
Adjusted EBITDA									284,307	283,883	316,609
Depreciation and amortization									49,131	54,468	51,193
All Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									127,186	128,914	180,988
Adjusted EBITDA									14,091	13,878	14,772
Depreciation and amortization									8,073	8,357	7,302
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales									159	1,462	3,437
Adjusted EBITDA									(110,623)	(117,834)	(85,804)
Depreciation and amortization									6,694	6,162	6,056
Continuing Operations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA									1,006,664	885,480	758,217
Net income (loss) attributable to Albemarle Corporation									693,562	54,850	643,675
Depreciation and amortization									200,698	196,928	190,975
Utilization of inventory markup										23,095
Restructuring and other, net									3,838	17,056
(Gain) loss on sales of businesses, net									(210,428)		(122,298)
Gain on acquisition										(6,221)
Acquisition and integration related costs									19,377	33,954	57,384
Interest and financing expenses									52,405	115,350	65,181
Income tax expense									144,826	431,817	96,263
Income from discontinued operations (net of tax)											(202,131)
Non-operating pension and OPEB items									5,285	(16,125)	25,589
Legal accrual									27,027
Environmental accrual									15,597
Albemarle Foundation contribution									15,000
Indemnification adjustments									25,240
Note receivable reserve										28,730
Other									14,237	6,046	3,579
Continuing Operations | Reportable Segments
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA									1,103,196	989,436	829,249
Net income (loss) attributable to Albemarle Corporation									1,120,325	792,496	651,632
Depreciation and amortization									185,931	182,409	177,617
Utilization of inventory markup										23,095
Restructuring and other, net									0	0
(Gain) loss on sales of businesses, net									(210,428)		0
Gain on acquisition										(6,221)
Acquisition and integration related costs									0	0	0
Interest and financing expenses									0	0	0
Income tax expense									0	0	0
Income from discontinued operations (net of tax)											0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items									0	0	0
Legal accrual									0
Environmental accrual									0
Albemarle Foundation contribution									0
Indemnification adjustments									0
Note receivable reserve										0
Other									7,368	(2,343)	0
Continuing Operations | Reportable Segments | Lithium
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA									530,773	446,652	285,714
Net income (loss) attributable to Albemarle Corporation									428,212	342,992	198,852
Depreciation and amortization									95,193	87,879	86,862
Utilization of inventory markup										23,095
Restructuring and other, net									0	0
(Gain) loss on sales of businesses, net									0		0
Gain on acquisition										(6,221)
Acquisition and integration related costs									0	0	0
Interest and financing expenses									0	0	0
Income tax expense									0	0	0
Income from discontinued operations (net of tax)											0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items									0	0	0
Legal accrual									0
Environmental accrual									0
Albemarle Foundation contribution									0
Indemnification adjustments									0
Note receivable reserve										0
Other									7,368	(1,093)	0
Continuing Operations | Reportable Segments | Bromine Specialties
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA									288,116	258,901	226,926
Net income (loss) attributable to Albemarle Corporation									246,509	218,839	187,364
Depreciation and amortization									41,607	40,062	39,562
Utilization of inventory markup										0
Restructuring and other, net									0	0
(Gain) loss on sales of businesses, net									0		0
Gain on acquisition										0
Acquisition and integration related costs									0	0	0
Interest and financing expenses									0	0	0
Income tax expense									0	0	0
Income from discontinued operations (net of tax)											0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items									0	0	0
Legal accrual									0
Environmental accrual									0
Albemarle Foundation contribution									0
Indemnification adjustments									0
Note receivable reserve										0
Other									0	0	0
Continuing Operations | Reportable Segments | Catalysts
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA									284,307	283,883	316,609
Net income (loss) attributable to Albemarle Corporation									445,604	230,665	265,416
Depreciation and amortization									49,131	54,468	51,193
Utilization of inventory markup										0
Restructuring and other, net									0	0
(Gain) loss on sales of businesses, net									(210,428)		0
Gain on acquisition										0
Acquisition and integration related costs									0	0	0
Interest and financing expenses									0	0	0
Income tax expense									0	0	0
Income from discontinued operations (net of tax)											0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items									0	0	0
Legal accrual									0
Environmental accrual									0
Albemarle Foundation contribution									0
Indemnification adjustments									0
Note receivable reserve										0
Other									0	(1,250)	0
Continuing Operations | All Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA									14,091	13,878	14,772
Net income (loss) attributable to Albemarle Corporation									6,018	5,521	131,301
Depreciation and amortization									8,073	8,357	7,302
Utilization of inventory markup										0
Restructuring and other, net									0	0
(Gain) loss on sales of businesses, net									0		(123,831)
Gain on acquisition										0
Acquisition and integration related costs									0	0	0
Interest and financing expenses									0	0	0
Income tax expense									0	0	0
Income from discontinued operations (net of tax)											0
Non-operating pension and OPEB items									0	0	0
Legal accrual									0
Environmental accrual									0
Albemarle Foundation contribution									0
Indemnification adjustments									0
Note receivable reserve										0
Other									0	0	0
Continuing Operations | Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Adjusted EBITDA									(110,623)	(117,834)	(85,804)
Net income (loss) attributable to Albemarle Corporation									(432,781)	(743,167)	(139,258)
Depreciation and amortization									6,694	6,162	6,056
Utilization of inventory markup										0
Restructuring and other, net									3,838	17,056
(Gain) loss on sales of businesses, net									0		1,533
Gain on acquisition										0
Acquisition and integration related costs									19,377	33,954	57,384
Interest and financing expenses									52,405	115,350	65,181
Income tax expense									144,826	431,817	96,263
Income from discontinued operations (net of tax)											(202,131)
Non-operating pension and OPEB items									5,285	(16,125)	25,589
Legal accrual									27,027
Environmental accrual									15,597
Albemarle Foundation contribution									15,000
Indemnification adjustments									25,240
Note receivable reserve										28,730
Other									$ 6,869	$ 8,389	$ 3,579