Aggregate notional amount of derivative expressed in nonmonetary units. For example, the number of barrels specified in a fuel oil forward purchase contract.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 13
-Sentence Column B

+ Details

Name:	invest_DerivativeNonmonetaryNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Aggregate notional amount specified by the derivative(s). Expressed as an absolute value.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Regulation S-X (SX)
-Number 210
-Article 12
-Section 13
-Sentence Column B

+ Details

Name:	invest_DerivativeNotionalAmount
Namespace Prefix:	invest_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Face (par) amount of debt instrument at time of issuance.

+ References

Reference 1: 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=64930739&loc=d3e28878-108400

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 835
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64930785&loc=d3e28551-108399

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- 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_DerivativeLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Nominal or face amount used to calculate payments on a nonderivative instrument.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NotionalAmountOfNonderivativeInstruments
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_ForeignExchangeContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CurrencyAxis=currency_EUR
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_HedgingDesignationAxis=us-gaap_DesignatedAsHedgingInstrumentMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_CashFlowHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_CurrencyAxis=currency_JPY
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_CommodityContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_EnergyRelatedDerivativeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateSwapMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentRiskAxis=us-gaap_InterestRateContractMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_FairValueHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=emn_A1.50NotesDue2023and1.875NotesDue2026Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DerivativeInstrumentsGainLossByHedgingRelationshipAxis=us-gaap_NetInvestmentHedgingMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=emn_NotesDue2023Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis=emn_A1.875notesdue2026Member
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

DERIVATIVE AND NON-DERIVATIVE FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS Part 1 (Details) € in Millions, ¥ in Millions, bbl in Millions, MMBTU in Millions, $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) MMBTU bbl	Dec. 31, 2017 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) MMBTU bbl	Dec. 31, 2016 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2017 EUR (€) MMBTU bbl	Dec. 31, 2017 JPY (¥) MMBTU bbl	Dec. 31, 2016 EUR (€) MMBTU bbl	Dec. 31, 2016 JPY (¥) MMBTU bbl	Nov. 29, 2016 USD ($)	Nov. 21, 2016 USD ($)	Nov. 21, 2016 EUR (€)	Nov. 01, 2016 USD ($)	Nov. 01, 2016 EUR (€)	May 26, 2016 USD ($)	May 26, 2016 EUR (€)
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member] \| Euro Member Countries, Euro \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 630		$ 398		€ 525		€ 378
Foreign Exchange Contract [Member] \| Japan, Yen \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 0		$ 15			¥ 0		¥ 1,800
Commodity Contract [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount \| bbl	7		11		7	7	11	11
Energy Related Derivative [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Nonmonetary Notional Amount \| MMBTU	23		23		23	23	23	23
Interest Rate Swap [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Cash Flow Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount									$ 500
Interest Rate Contract [Member] \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Fair Value Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Derivative, Notional Amount	$ 75		$ 75
1.50% Notes Due 2023 and 1.875% Notes Due 2026 [Member] \| Euro Member Countries, Euro \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Net Investment Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Notional Amount of Nonderivative Instruments	$ 1,500	€ 1,240	$ 1,300	€ 1,238
1.50% notes due May 2023
Derivative [Line Items]
Principal amount												$ 213	€ 200	$ 614	€ 550
1.50% notes due May 2023 \| Euro Member Countries, Euro \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Net Investment Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Principal amount										$ 213	€ 200			$ 614	€ 550
1.875% notes due November 2026 [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Principal amount												$ 534	€ 500
1.875% notes due November 2026 [Member] \| Euro Member Countries, Euro \| Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member] \| Net Investment Hedging [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Principal amount										$ 534	€ 500