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Divestitures - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands |  |  |  |  | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 14, 2016 | Feb. 01, 2016 | Jan. 04, 2016 | Sep. 01, 2014 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Sep. 30, 2016 | [1] | Jun. 30, 2016 | [1] | Mar. 31, 2016 | [1] | Dec. 31, 2015 | Mar. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2016 | Dec. 31, 2015 | Dec. 31, 2014
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash proceeds from divestitures, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 3,325,571 |  | $ 8,883 | $ 104,718 |
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (84,371) |  | (2,144) | 17,889 |
Actuarial (losses) gains |  |  |  |  |  | $ (26,700) |  |  |  |  | $ 30,100 |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss on disposal of businesses, before income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 510,278 |  | 0 | (85,515) |
Gain on sales of businesses, net |  |  |  |  |  | 0 | [1] | $ 0 | $ (974) | $ (121,324) |  |  | (122,298) |  | 0 | 0 |
Chemetall Surface Treatment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash proceeds from divestitures, net |  | $ 3,100,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gain on sale of business, before income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (387,980) |  | 0 |  |
Gain on sale of business, net of tax |  |  |  |  |  | $ 135,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Actuarial (losses) gains | [2] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (8,500) |  | $ 8,900 |  |
Tax expense on gain on sale of business |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 253,000 |  |  |  |
Antioxidant, Ibuprofen and Propofol Assets |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash proceeds from divestitures, net |  |  |  |  | $ 104,700 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Working capital settlement |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 7,600 |  |  |  |  |
Loss on disposal of businesses, before income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 85,500 |
Loss on disposal of businesses, net of tax |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 65,700 |
Cumulative foreign currency translation gains included in pre-tax impairment charge |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 17,800 |
Metal Sulfides Business |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash proceeds from divestitures, net |  |  |  | $ 137,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gain on sales of businesses, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (11,500) |  |  |  |
Mineral Flame Retardants and Specialty Chemicals Businesses |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cash proceeds from divestitures, net |  |  | $ 187,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gain on sales of businesses, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ (112,300) |  |  |  |
Magnifin Magnesiaprodukte GmbH & Co. KG |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Ownership percentage |  |  | 50.00% |  |  | 0.00% | [3] |  |  |  | 50.00% |  | 0.00% | [3] | 50.00% | 50.00% |
Corporate | Wafer Reclaim |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Gain on sales of businesses, net |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 1,500 |  |  |  |
Foreign Currency Translation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ (81,421) | [4] | $ (27) | $ 17,614 | [4]
[1] | Included in Gain on sales of businesses, net for the year ended December 31, 2016 is $11.5 million and $112.3 million related to the sales of the metal sulfides business and the minerals-based flame retardants and specialty chemicals business, respectively, both of which closed in the first quarter of 2016. In addition, Gain on sales of businesses, net for the year ended December 31, 2016 includes a loss of $1.5 million on the sale of our wafer reclaim business. See Note 3, “Divestitures,” for additional information.
[2] | Operating expenses, net for discontinued operations includes mark-to market actuarial (losses) gains of ($8.5) million and $8.9 million during the years ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
[3] | On February 1, 2016, we sold our investment in Magnifin as part of the sale of the minerals-based flame retardants and specialty chemicals business. Refer to Note 3, “Divestitures,” for additional information.
[4] | Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2016 are included in Income (loss) from discontinued operations (net of tax) for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2016 and resulted from the release of cumulative foreign currency translation adjustments into earnings upon the sale of our antioxidant, ibuprofen and propofol businesses and assets which closed on September 1, 2014 and the sale of our Chemetall Surface Treatment business which closed on December 14, 2016. See Note 3, “Divestitures.”

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