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Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $) | 3 Months Ended
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Mar. 31, 2015
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Environmental remediation liabilities - discounted | $ 21,400,000alb_AccrualforEnvironmentalLossContingenciesDiscountedPresentValue
Environmental remediation liabilities - undiscounted | 34,500,000alb_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesUndiscountedForAccrualsQualifyingForDiscounting
Potential revision on future environmental remediation costs before tax | 22,000,000alb_PotentialEnvironmentalRemediationCostIncreaseDecreaseDueToRevisionInEstimates
Minimum |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies, Discount Rate | 2.80%us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesDiscountRate / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MinimumMember
Maximum |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies, Discount Rate | 4.30%us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesDiscountRate / us-gaap_RangeAxis = us-gaap_MaximumMember
Rockwood Holdings, Inc. |
Loss Contingencies [Line Items] |
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies from Rockwood Acquisition | $ 31,391,000us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesIncreaseDecreaseForAcquisitionsAndDivestitures / us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis = alb_RockwoodHoldingsInc.Member

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- Definition Rate applied to the undiscounted amount of environmental loss contingencies to arrive at the present value recorded as of the balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 5.Y.Q1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27011672&loc=d3e149879-122751 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB) -Number Topic 5 -Section Y -Paragraph Question 1 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 410 -SubTopic 30 -Section 50 -Paragraph 7 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6393242&loc=d3e13207-110859 + Details
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