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Financial instruments (Details Textual) |  |  |  | 1 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |  |  |  |  |
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Apr. 03, 2013 USD ($) | Apr. 04, 2012 USD ($) | Jan. 13, 2009 USD ($) | Oct. 23, 2014 USD ($) | Apr. 21, 2010 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2017 | Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) | Apr. 05, 2018 | Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) | Apr. 04, 2012 CLF ( ) | Jan. 13, 2009 CLF ( ) | Jan. 24, 2006 USD ($) | Jan. 24, 2006 CLF ( ) | Apr. 05, 2005 USD ($)
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Term deposits, maturity |  |  |  |  |  | exceeding 90 days and less than 360 days |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 13,494,000 |  | $ 58,973,000 |  |  |  |  |
Non current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,031,507,000 |  | 1,059,706,000 |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | 290,397,000 |  | 95,623,000 |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.25% |  |  |  |  |  |
Outstanding purchase commitments |  |  |  |  |  |  | 41,601,000 |  | 19,959,000 |  |  |  |  |
Western Australia Lithium [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Investments in joint ventures |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24,745,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Single series bond One [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,289,000 |  | 2,288,000 |  |  |  |  |
Non current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 249,096,000 |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  | 0 |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1.47% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  |  |  |  |  |  | 04/21/2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Single series bond One [Member] | Bonds issued [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  | $ 250,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  |  | 5.50% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  |  |  |  | 10 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Single series bond Three [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,043,000 |  | 2,043,000 |  |  |  |  |
Non current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 296,770,000 |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  | 0 |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.12% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0403//2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Single series bond Three [Member] | Bonds issued [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount | $ 300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate | 3.625% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity | 10 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Annual yield rate | 3.716% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Description of difference between the annual interest rate and comparable rate with treasury bonds | This rate equates to a difference of 180 basis points to comparable US Treasury bonds. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Single series bond Two [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 4,215,000 |  | 4,216,000 |  |  |  |  |
Non current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 246,931,000 |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  | 0 |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.17% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  |  |  |  |  |  | 01/28/2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Single series bond Two [Member] | Bonds issued [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  | $ 250,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  | 4.375% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  |  |  | 2025 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Percentage of bonds issue price |  |  |  | 99.41% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Series C bonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6,098,000 |  |  |  |  |
Non current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 53,131,000 |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5,903,000 |  |  |  |  |
Series C bonds [Member] | Bonds issued [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 101,918,000 | 3,000,000 |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4.00% | 4.00% |
Single series bond [Member] | Bonds issued [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 200,000,000
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.00%
Series H bonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3,988,000 |  | 3,587,000 |  |  |  |  |
Non current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 155,755,000 |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  | 0 |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.18% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  |  |  |  |  |  | 01/05/2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Series H bonds [Member] | Bonds issued [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  | $ 139,216,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,000,000 |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  | 4.90% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4.90% |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  |  | 21 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Series G bonds [Member] | Bonds issued [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  | $ 34,146,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 21,000,000 |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  | 7.00% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7.00% |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  |  | 5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Series M bonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 39,882,000 |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 39,356,000 |  |  |  |  |
Series M bonds [Member] | Bonds issued [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  | $ 46,601 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000,000 |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  | 3.30% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.30% |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  | 5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Series O bonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 959,000 |  | 859,000 |  |  |  |  |
Non current bonds issued net of issuance costs |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 58,023,000 |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 |  | $ 0 |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2.80% |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  |  |  |  |  |  | 02/01/2018 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Series O bonds [Member] | Bonds issued [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount |  | $ 69,901 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,500,000 |  |  |  |
Borrowings, interest rate |  | 3.80% |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.80% |  |  |  |
Borrowings, maturity |  | 21 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Series P bonds [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Financial instruments [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Explanation of information about the issue of bonds on approval by the regulatory |  |  |  |  |  |  | If the modified line is approved by the Financial Markets Commission, a series of bonds denominated Series P will be issued for a nominal value of up to UF 3 million, with a maturity date of January 15, 2028. |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition The interest rate on borrowings. [Refer: Borrowings] + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef -Name IFRS -Number 7 -IssueDate 2017-01-01 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://eifrs.ifrs.org/eifrs/XBRL?type=IFRS&num=7&date=2017-03-01&anchor=para_7&doctype=Standard -URIDate 2017-03-09 + Details
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- Definition The amount of current bonds issued after deducting issuance costs. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The description of difference between the annual interest rate and comparable rate with treasury bonds + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The explanation of information about the issue of bonds on approval by the regulatory. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of non current bonds issued after deducting issuance costs. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of purchase orders outstanding. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The percentage of bonds issue price with respect to capital. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The maturity of term deposits. + References No definition available. + Details
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