Business Restructuring and Asset Impairments - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017 Employees	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) Employees	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
2017 Restructuring [Member] | Fieldsboro, NJ [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring		$ 915,000
Depreciation expense		$ 1,290,000
2017 Restructuring [Member] | Singapore [Member] | Surfactants [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Number positions eliminated | Employees	11
2017 Restructuring [Member] | Singapore [Member] | Surfactants [Member] | Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring			$ 132,000		$ 0
2016 Restructuring [Member] | Longford Mills [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring					2,022,000	$ 2,817,000
2016 Restructuring [Member] | Longford Mills [Member] | Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring						1,594,000
2016 Restructuring [Member] | Longford Mills [Member] | Other Expense [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring					2,022,000	1,223,000
2016 Restructuring [Member] | Longford Mills [Member] | Surfactants [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring					4,839,000
Depreciation expense					$ 0	4,471,000
Number positions eliminated | Employees					30
Decommissioning expense					$ 2,022,000
2016 Restructuring [Member] | Longford Mills [Member] | Surfactants [Member] | Termination Benefits [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring					1,594,000
2016 Restructuring [Member] | Longford Mills [Member] | Surfactants [Member] | Other Expense [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Business restructuring					$ 3,245,000
2016 Asset Impairments [Member] | Surfactants [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges				$ 4,247,000
2016 Asset Impairments [Member] | United States [Member] | Nonionic Surfactants [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges				2,297,000
2016 Asset Impairments [Member] | Brazil [Member] | Bahia Plant
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Asset impairment charges				$ 1,950,000
2016 Asset Impairments [Member] | Brazil [Member] | Bahia Plant | Take-Or-Pay Contract [Member] | Net Sales [Member]
Restructuring Cost And Reserve [Line Items]
Compensation for lost future revenues						$ 4,250,000