Supplemental financial statement info Components of Accrued and Other Current Liabilities (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Accrued payable to Alcoa for Mt. Holly acquisition	$ 39,208us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent	$ 0us-gaap_AccountsPayableCurrent
Accrued compensation and related benefits	19,602	11,829
Income taxes payable	14,302us-gaap_AccruedIncomeTaxesCurrent	6,198us-gaap_AccruedIncomeTaxesCurrent
Other accrued and current liabilities	10,573us-gaap_OtherAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent	14,842us-gaap_OtherAccruedLiabilitiesCurrent
Accrued vacation pay	9,101us-gaap_AccruedVacationCurrent	9,135us-gaap_AccruedVacationCurrent
Asset retirement obligations – current	6,006	4,230
Deferred tax liability – current	2,241us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesCurrent	1,555us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesCurrent
Accrued severance pay	2,050	11,438
Accrued bond interest	1,563us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent	1,636us-gaap_InterestPayableCurrent
Revolving credit facility	0us-gaap_LinesOfCreditCurrent	6,000us-gaap_LinesOfCreditCurrent
Current portion of long-term debt	0us-gaap_UnsecuredDebtCurrent	2,603us-gaap_UnsecuredDebtCurrent
Total Accrued and other current liabilities	$ 104,646us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent	$ 69,466us-gaap_AccruedLiabilitiesCurrent

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of liabilities incurred (and for which invoices have typically been received) and payable to vendors for goods and services received that are used in an entity's business. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19

-Subparagraph a

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(a))

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- Definition

Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of the unpaid sum of the known and estimated amounts payable to satisfy all currently due domestic and foreign income tax obligations.

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- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred and payable, pertaining to costs that are statutory in nature, are incurred on contractual obligations, or accumulate over time and for which invoices have not yet been received or will not be rendered. Examples include taxes, interest, rent and utilities. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

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- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred and payable for unused vacation time owed to employees based on the entity's vacation benefit given to its employees. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

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- Definition

Current portion of the carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 410

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

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- Definition

Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences, net of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards net of valuation allowances expected to be realized or consumed within one year or operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 4

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=37586315&loc=d3e31917-109318

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-Publisher FASB

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-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 6

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32621-109319

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 6

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=37586315&loc=d3e31931-109318

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 8

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-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 9

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- Definition

Total of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and payable for obligations related to services received from employees, such as accrued salaries and bonuses, payroll taxes and fringe benefits. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

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- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of [accrued] interest payable on all forms of debt, including trade payables, that has been incurred and is unpaid. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Current Liabilities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6509677

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

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-Paragraph 8

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 9

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28358313&loc=d3e7018-107765

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- Definition

The carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the current portion of long-term obligations drawn from a line of credit, which is a bank's commitment to make loans up to a specific amount. Examples of items that might be included in the application of this element may consist of letters of credit, standby letters of credit, and revolving credit arrangements, under which borrowings can be made up to a maximum amount as of any point in time conditional on satisfaction of specified terms before, as of and after the date of drawdowns on the line. Includes short-term obligations that would normally be classified as current liabilities but for which (a) postbalance sheet date issuance of a long term obligation to refinance the short term obligation on a long term basis, or (b) the enterprise has entered into a financing agreement that clearly permits the enterprise to refinance the short-term obligation on a long term basis and the following conditions are met (1) the agreement does not expire within 1 year and is not cancelable by the lender except for violation of an objectively determinable provision, (2) no violation exists at the BS date, and (3) the lender has entered into the financing agreement is expected to be financially capable of honoring the agreement.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19, 20

-Article 5

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Line-of-Credit Arrangement

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6517033

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Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of obligations incurred through that date and payable arising from transactions not otherwise specified in the taxonomy. Used to reflect the current portion of the liabilities (due within one year or within the normal operating cycle if longer).

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 20

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Current Liabilities

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6509677

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

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-Paragraph 6

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- Definition

Liability for amount due employees, in addition to wages and any other money that employers owe employees, when their employment ends through a layoff or other termination. For example, a company may provide involuntarily terminated employees with a lump sum payment equal to one week's salary for every year of employment.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Glossary Other Postemployment Benefits

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6519534

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- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of the portion of long-term, uncollateralized debt obligations due within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer.

+ References

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Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
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