Restructuring and Other Charges Reported in Consolidated Statements of Income (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Write-offs of foreign currency translation adjustments of phosphorous flame retardants business			$ 12,300,000
Workforce reduction charges			21,640,000	[1]	1,859,000	[1]	6,605,000	[1]
Site Remediation Costs		8,700,000	8,700,000
Other			5,334,000	[2]			6,958,000	[2]
Defined benefit plan curtailment gain	4,500,000
Defined benefit plan curtailment gain, net of tax	2,900,000
One-time employer contribution amount to defined contribution plan			10,081,000	[3]
Before Tax
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Other	5,300,000
One-time employer contribution amount to defined contribution plan	10,100,000
After Tax
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Other	4,300,000
One-time employer contribution amount to defined contribution plan	6,400,000
Phosphorous Flame Retardant Business Exit
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges	6,100,000	94,700,000	100,777,000	[4]
Restructuring charges, net of tax	2,500,000	73,600,000
Phosphorous flame retardants business, net asset write off			57,000,000
Write-offs of foreign currency translation adjustments of phosphorous flame retardants business			12,000,000
Workforce reduction charges			22,000,000
Site Remediation Costs			9,000,000
Other			3,000,000
Amount of gain related to the sale of Nanjing, China manufacturing site			2,000,000
Expected restructuring plan completion date			2014
Bergheim, Germany Site
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Charges related to the reduction in force							7,000,000
Charges related to the reduction in force, net of tax							$ 4,600,000

[1] The year ended December 31, 2012 includes charges amounting to $21.6 million relating to reduction in force liabilities associated with our exit of the phosphorus flame retardants business noted above.

[2] In the fourth quarter of 2012 we recorded charges amounting to $5.3 million ($4.3 million after income taxes) related to changes in product sourcing and other items. The year ended December 31, 2010 included charges amounting to $7.0 million ($4.6 million after income taxes) that related principally to reductions in force at our Bergheim, Germany site.

[3] In the fourth quarter of 2012 we recorded a net curtailment gain of $4.5 million ($2.9 million after income taxes) and a one-time employer contribution to the Company's defined contribution plan of $10.1 million ($6.4 million after income taxes), both in connection with various amendments to certain of our U.S. pension and defined contribution plans that were approved by our Board of Directors in the fourth quarter of 2012. See Note 17, "Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefits."

[4] In the second quarter of 2012 we recorded net charges amounting to $94.7 million ($73.6 million after income taxes), and in the fourth quarter we recorded net charges amounting to $6.1 million ($2.5 million after income taxes), in connection with our exit of the phosphorus flame retardants business, whose products were sourced mainly at our Avonmouth, United Kingdom and Nanjing, China manufacturing sites. The charges are comprised mainly of non-cash items consisting of net asset write-offs of approximately $57 million and write-offs of foreign currency translation adjustments of approximately $12 million, as well as accruals for future cash costs associated with related severance programs of approximately $22 million, estimated site remediation costs of approximately $9 million, other estimated exit costs of approximately $3 million, partly offset by a gain of approximately $2 million related to the sale of our Nanjing, China manufacturing site. Payments under this restructuring plan are expected to occur through 2014.