Employee Benefit Obligations - Components of net periodic benefit cost (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Aug. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018
Ball-sponsored plans:
Curtailments and settlements including special termination benefits			$ 14	$ 43
Total net periodic benefit cost			30	64	$ 63	$ 110
Non-service pension income (cost)				$ (4)	$ 3	$ (16)
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit), Interest Cost, Statement of Income or Comprehensive Income [Extensible List]				Selling, General and Administrative Expense	Selling, General and Administrative Expense	Selling, General and Administrative Expense
Settlement loss					$ 14		$ 41
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit (Cost) Credit, Settlement and Curtailment Gain (Loss), Statement of Income or Comprehensive Income [Extensible List]					Restructuring and Other Activities		Restructuring and Other Activities
Forecast
Ball-sponsored plans:
Expected contributions to pension plans for the full year								$ 66
Ball Sponsored Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost			16	$ 17	$ 51	$ 49
Interest cost			43	51	127	161
Expected return on plan assets			(54)	(57)	(163)	(175)
Amortization of prior service cost				1	1	1
Recognized net actuarial loss			11	9	32	29
Curtailments and settlements including special termination benefits					14	43
Net periodic benefit cost for Ball sponsored plans					62	108
Multi-employer Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Net periodic benefit cost for multiemployer plans					1	2
Defined Benefit Pension Plans | Excluding German Swedish And Certain U S Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Contributions to pension plans					53	201
U.S.
Ball-sponsored plans:
Curtailments and settlements including special termination benefits			14	43
Total net periodic benefit cost			34	63	75	107
Pension benefit obligation to be transferred	$ 176	$ 224
U.S. | Ball Sponsored Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost			13	13	40	37
Interest cost			25	29	73	95
Expected return on plan assets			(27)	(31)	(82)	(97)
Amortization of prior service cost				1	1	1
Recognized net actuarial loss			9	8	28	26
Curtailments and settlements including special termination benefits					14	43
Net periodic benefit cost for Ball sponsored plans					74	105
U.S. | Multi-employer Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Net periodic benefit cost for multiemployer plans					1	2
Foreign
Ball-sponsored plans:
Total net periodic benefit cost			(4)	1	(12)	3
Foreign | Ball Sponsored Plans
Ball-sponsored plans:
Service cost			3	4	11	12
Interest cost			18	22	54	66
Expected return on plan assets			(27)	(26)	(81)	(78)
Recognized net actuarial loss			$ 2	$ 1	4	3
Net periodic benefit cost for Ball sponsored plans					$ (12)	$ 3