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Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefits Domestic and Foreign Pension and Postretirement Defined Benefit Plans (Footnote) (Detail) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended |  |
--- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Jan. 31, 2014
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Net curtailment gain |  | $ 800,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanRecognizedNetGainLossDueToCurtailments |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan, Recognized Net Gain (Loss) Due to Settlements and Curtailments | 2,600,000us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanRecognizedNetGainLossDueToSettlementsAndCurtailments1 |  |  |  |
United States Pension Plan of US Entity |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Discount rate |  |  |  | 5.14%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember | 4.97%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingBenefitObligationDiscountRate / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_UnitedStatesPensionPlansOfUSEntityDefinedBenefitMember
Pension Plan |  |  |  |  |
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |
Actuarial loss | $ 0alb_DefinedBenefitPlanMarkToMarketPensionAndPostretirementAdjustmentstoGainsLosses / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember | $ 15,432,000alb_DefinedBenefitPlanMarkToMarketPensionAndPostretirementAdjustmentstoGainsLosses / us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis = us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember | [1] |  |
[1] | In connection with a realignment of our operating segments effective January 1, 2014, in the fourth quarter of 2013 we initiated a workforce reduction plan which resulted in a reduction of approximately 230 employees worldwide. This workforce reduction triggered a net curtailment gain of approximately $0.8 million in the first quarter of 2014 for our U.S. defined benefit plan which covers non-represented employees and our supplemental executive retirement plan (SERP). In connection with the curtailment, we were required to remeasure the related assets and obligations for these two plans. As of the January 31, 2014 remeasurement date, the weighted-average discount rate for all of our domestic pension plans was 4.97% compared to 5.14% at December 31, 2013. Taking into account the discount rate reduction and actual return on plan assets through January 31, 2014, we recorded a mark-to-market actuarial loss (net of the curtailment gain) of $15.4 million in the first quarter of 2014 related to these two plans.

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- Definition Mark-to-market adjustments for the gain or losses occurring on pension or postretirement plans during the year, and any mark-to-market true-up or other adjustments. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The interest rate used to adjust for the time value of money for the plan. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (k)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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- Definition The amount of net gain (loss) recognized in net periodic benefit cost as a result of an event that significantly reduces the expected years of future service of present employees or eliminates for a significant number of employees the accrual of defined benefits for some or all of their future services. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (h)(7) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Plan Curtailment -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6520938 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 30 -Section 15 -Paragraph 6 -Subparagraph (a)(2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7577095&loc=d3e8001-114927 + Details
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- Definition Amount of net gain (loss) recognized in net periodic benefit cost due to settlements and curtailments. Curtailments result from an event that significantly reduces the expected years of future service of present employees or eliminates for a significant number of employees the accrual of defined benefits for some or all of their future services. Settlements result from an irrevocable action that relieves the employer (or the plan) of primary responsibility for a benefit obligation and eliminates significant risks related to the obligation and the assets used to effect the settlement. Examples of transactions that constitute a settlement include, but are not limited to, lump-sum cash payments to plan participants in exchange for their rights to receive specified benefits and purchasing nonparticipating annuity contracts to cover vested benefits. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (h)(7) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e1928-114920 + Details
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