Variable Interest Entities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Income (loss) before income taxes	$ 4.5	$ (283.1)
SunCoke Middletown [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable interest entity, ownership percentage (in hundredths)	0.00%
Income (loss) before income taxes	$ 18.0	$ 15.4
Vicksmetal Armco Associates [Member] \| Variable Interest Entity, Primary Beneficiary [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Variable interest entity, ownership percentage (in hundredths)	50.00%

This element represents the income or loss from continuing operations attributable to the economic entity which may also be defined as revenue less expenses from ongoing operations, after income or loss from equity method investments, but before income taxes, extraordinary items, and noncontrolling interest.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 940
-SubTopic 20
-Section 25
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=51673353&loc=d3e41242-110953

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Section 03
-Paragraph 10
-Article 5

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration