XML 92 R71.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT
v3.20.4

Property, Plant and Equipment (Footnote) (Details) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2020
Minimum |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 2 years
Minimum | Land improvements |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 10 years
Minimum | Building and improvements |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 10 years
Minimum | Machinery and equipment |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 2 years
Minimum | Long term mineral rights and production equipment costs |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 7 years
Minimum | Short-lived production equipment components, office and building equipment and other equipment |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 2 years
Minimum | Production process equipment (intermediate components) |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 8 years
Minimum | Production process equipment (major unit components) |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 20 years
Minimum | Production process equipment (infrastructure and other) |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 30 years
Maximum |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 60 years
Maximum | Land improvements |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 30 years
Maximum | Building and improvements |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 50 years
Maximum | Machinery and equipment |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 45 years
Maximum | Long term mineral rights and production equipment costs |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 60 years
Maximum | Short-lived production equipment components, office and building equipment and other equipment |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 7 years
Maximum | Production process equipment (intermediate components) |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 19 years
Maximum | Production process equipment (major unit components) |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 29 years
Maximum | Production process equipment (infrastructure and other) |
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items] |
Property, plant and equipment, useful life | 45 years

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- Definition Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentLineItems
Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Definition Useful life of long lived, physical assets used in the normal conduct of business and not intended for resale, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days. Examples include, but not limited to, land, buildings, machinery and equipment, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | us-gaap_
Data Type: | xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type: | na
Period Type: | duration

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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_LandImprovementsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
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Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=alb_MineralRightsAndReservesMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=alb_ShortLivedEquipmentMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=us-gaap_EquipmentMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=alb_ProductionProcessEquipmentMajorUnitComponentsMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | us-gaap_PropertyPlantAndEquipmentByTypeAxis=alb_ProductionProcessEquipmentInfrastructureAndOtherMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |

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- Details
Name: | srt_RangeAxis=srt_MaximumMember
Namespace Prefix: |
Data Type: | na
Balance Type: |
Period Type: |