Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Textuals (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep. 30, 2011 | Sep. 30, 2010 | Sep. 30, 2011 | Sep. 30, 2010 | Dec. 31, 2010 | |||||
| Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Net sales | $ 322.3 | [1] | $ 263.4 | $ 983.7 | [1] | $ 813.3 | |||
| Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies Additional (Textuals) [Abstract] | |||||||||
| Non-cash LIFO benefits (charges) | 7.1 | 2.0 | (12.8) | (6.2) | |||||
| Excess of current cost over the stated LIFO value of inventory | 49.2 | 49.2 | 36.4 | ||||||
| Interest Expense capitalized | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 2.7 | |||||
| Margin deposits with or from Counterparties | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| More-likely-than-not threshold | 50.00% | 50.00% | |||||||
| Percentage of total contributions to multi-employer pension plan | 5.00% | 5.00% | |||||||
Anglesey Aluminum Limited [Member] | |||||||||
| Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Non-controlling ownership interest in Anglesey Aluminum Limited | 49.00% | 49.00% | |||||||
| Income (Loss) from Equity Method Investments | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Carrying amount of Company's investment in Anglesey | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Expected period of not resuming the use of equity method of accounting | 12 months | 12 months | |||||||
Anglesey Aluminum Limited [Member] | Secondary Aluminum [Member] | |||||||||
| Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items] | |||||||||
| Net sales | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | $ 0 | |||||
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- Definition Expected period of not resuming the use of equity method of accounting
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- Definition Margin deposits outstanding.
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- Definition More-likely-than-not threshold definition - likelihood of more than
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- Definition company contribution to multiemployer pension plan as a pecentage of total contributions to the plan
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- Definition Summary of Significant accounting policies.
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- Definition This item represents the carrying amount on the entity's balance sheet of its investment in common stock of an equity method investee. This is not an indicator of the fair value of the investment, rather it is the initial cost adjusted for the entity's share of earnings and losses of the investee, adjusted for any distributions (dividends) and other than temporary impairment (OTTI) losses recognized. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition This item represents the entity's proportionate share for the period of the net income (loss) of its investee (such as unconsolidated subsidiaries and joint ventures) to which the equity method of accounting is applied. This item includes income or expense related to stock-based compensation based on the investor's grant of stock to employees of an equity method investee. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition The amount of interest that was capitalized during the period. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition Reflects the difference between (a) inventory at the lower of LIFO cost or market and (b) inventory at replacement cost or at the lower of some acceptable inventory accounting method (such as FIFO or average cost), or market. If material, reflects an excess of replacement or current cost over stated LIFO value parenthetically on the balance sheet or in a note to the financial statements. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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- Definition The change in the inventory reserve representing the cumulative difference in cost between the first in, first out and the last in, first out inventory valuation methods, which change has been reflected in the statement of income during the period. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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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.
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- Definition The parent entity's interest in net assets of the subsidiary, expressed as a percentage.
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- Definition Aggregate revenue during the period from the sale of goods in the normal course of business, after deducting returns, allowances and discounts. Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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