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Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Dec. 31, 2014 | Sep. 30, 2014 | Jun. 30, 2014 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2013 | Dec. 31, 2012 | Oct. 01, 2013 | Jan. 12, 2015 | Feb. 19, 2015
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash payments related to acquisitions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired |  | $ 2,565,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired |  | $ 3,360,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired |  |  |  |
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) | $ 0.01 us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0.01 us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare |  | $ 0.01 us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisition and integration related costs (Note 23) | 15,054,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts | [1] | 10,261,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts | [1] | 4,843,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts | [1] | 0 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts | 30,158,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts | [1] | 0 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts | [1] | 0 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts | [1] |  |  |
Rockwood Holdings, Inc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisition and integration related costs (Note 23) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 23,600,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Other significant projects |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Acquisition and integration related costs (Note 23) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6,600,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_OthersignificantprojectsMember |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cambridge Chemical Company |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consideration transferred |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,600,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_CambridgeChemicalCompanyMember |  |
Cash payments related to acquisitions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,300,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_CambridgeChemicalCompanyMember |  |  |  |  |  |
Subsequent Event | Rockwood Holdings, Inc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consideration transferred |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5,600,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Cash payments related to acquisitions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3,600,000,000 us-gaap_PaymentsToAcquireBusinessesNetOfCashAcquired / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Cash issued per outstanding share of Rockwood common stock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 50.65 alb_Businessacquisitioncashissued / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Equity issued per outstanding share of Rockwood common stock |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 0.4803 alb_Businessacquisitionequityissuedinshares / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Common Stock | Subsequent Event | Rockwood Holdings, Inc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Consideration transferred |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 2,000,000,000 us-gaap_BusinessCombinationConsiderationTransferred1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member / us-gaap_EquityInterestIssuedOrIssuableByTypeAxis = us-gaap_CommonStockMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Equity consideration, shares issued |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 34,110,008 us-gaap_NoncashOrPartNoncashAcquisitionNoncashFinancialOrEquityInstrumentConsiderationSharesIssued1 / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member / us-gaap_EquityInterestIssuedOrIssuableByTypeAxis = us-gaap_CommonStockMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
Appraisal shares |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 882,000 alb_Appraisalshares / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member / us-gaap_EquityInterestIssuedOrIssuableByTypeAxis = us-gaap_CommonStockMember / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Rockwood Holdings, Inc. | Subsequent Event | Rockwood Holdings, Inc. |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Business Acquisition [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 0.01 us-gaap_CommonStockParOrStatedValuePerShare / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member / dei_LegalEntityAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member / us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis = us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember |
[1] | See Note 23, “Acquisitions.”

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- Definition This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 23 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34752592&loc=d3e1043-128460 + Details
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- Definition Amount of consideration transferred, consisting of acquisition-date fair value of assets transferred by the acquirer, liabilities incurred by the acquirer, and equity interest issued by the acquirer. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 30 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6578-128477 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 30 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6911251&loc=d3e6613-128477 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 805 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35744584&loc=d3e6927-128479 + Details
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- Definition The number of shares issued as [noncash or part noncash] consideration for a business or asset acquired. Noncash is defined as transactions during a period that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. "Part noncash" refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4332-108586 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4313-108586 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4304-108586 + Details
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