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Long-Term Debt (Footnote) (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 0 Months Ended |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Mar. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2014 | Feb. 01, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014 | Jan. 12, 2015 | Jan. 20, 2005
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayments of long-term debt | $ 1,326,263us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt | $ 101us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt |  |  |  |
1.875% Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Unamortized discount | 5,717us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_OnePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 6,605us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_OnePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
Debt instrument, interest rate | 1.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_OnePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 1.875%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_OnePointEightSevenFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
3.00% Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Unamortized discount | 291us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_ThreePointZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 306us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_ThreePointZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
Debt instrument, interest rate | 3.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_ThreePointZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 3.00%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_ThreePointZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
4.15% Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Unamortized discount | 1,403us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointOneFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 1,439us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointOneFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
Debt instrument, interest rate | 4.15%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointOneFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 4.15%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointOneFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
4.50% Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Unamortized discount | 1,793us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointFiveZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 1,871us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointFiveZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
Debt instrument, interest rate | 4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointFiveZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointFiveZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
4.625% Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt instrument, interest rate | 4.625%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  |  | 4.625%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |
Unamortized Premium | 42,102us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedPremium / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  |  | 43,700us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedPremium / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FourPointSixTwoFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |
5.10% Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Unamortized discount |  |  |  | 3us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FivePointOneZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
Debt instrument, interest rate |  |  |  | 5.10%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FivePointOneZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  | 5.10%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FivePointOneZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember
Repayments of long-term debt |  |  | 325,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FivePointOneZeroPercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  |
5.45% Senior Notes |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Unamortized discount | 1,020us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FivePointFourFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 1,029us-gaap_DebtInstrumentUnamortizedDiscount / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FivePointFourFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
Debt instrument, interest rate | 5.45%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FivePointFourFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |  | 5.45%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_FivePointFourFivePercentSeniorNotesMember |  |
Senior Unsecured Cash Bridge Facility | Bridge Loan |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayments of long-term debt | 800,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = us-gaap_BridgeLoanMember / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = alb_SeniorUnsecuredCashBridgeFacilityMember |  |  |  |  |
Short-term Debt | Term Loan |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayments of long-term debt | 1,000,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt / us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis = alb_TermLoanMember / us-gaap_ShortTermDebtTypeAxis = us-gaap_ShortTermDebtMember |  |  |  |  |
Revolving Credit Facility |  |  |  |  |  |
Debt Instrument [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |
Repayments of long-term debt | $ 250,000us-gaap_RepaymentsOfLongTermDebt / us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis = us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember |  |  |  |  |

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- Definition Contractual interest rate for funds borrowed, under the debt agreement. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
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- Definition The amount of debt discount that was originally recognized at the issuance of the instrument that has yet to be amortized. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28541-108399 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 835 -SubTopic 30 -Section 55 -Paragraph 8 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34725769&loc=d3e28878-108400 + Details
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