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Income taxes - Additional Information (Detail) In Millions, unless otherwise specified | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  |  | 3 Months Ended | 12 Months Ended |  | 12 Months Ended |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Sep. 30, 2012 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2011 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2009 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2012 Proposed adjustment to certain foreign tax liabilities [Member] USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2012 Proposed adjustment to certain foreign tax liabilities [Member] CAD | Mar. 31, 2010 Germany [Member] USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2012 France [Member] USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2012 France [Member] | Dec. 31, 2012 Taiwan [Member] USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2012 Chemicals [Member] USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2012 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. [Member] German corporate [Member] USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2012 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. [Member] Trade tax purposes [Member] USD ($)
Income Taxes Disclosure [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Surtax on dividend distributions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.00% |  |  |  |
Distributed dividend |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 8.9 |  |  |  |  |
Undistributed earnings |  |  | 1,000.0 | 978.0 |  |  |  |  |  | 10.8 |  |  |  |  |
Net incremental tax benefit | 11.1 | 8.4 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 3.1 |  |
Tax related to non-cash dividend distributions |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8.0 |  |  |
Provision for income taxes |  |  |  | 17.2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Realized non-cash income tax benefit |  |  | 51.5 | 95.3 | (11.1) |  |  |  | 35.2 |  |  |  |  |  |
Letter of credit collateralized |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7.5 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Potential tax liability full amount for the proposed adjustment |  |  |  |  |  |  | 16.0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits impact on effective tax rate |  |  | 27.9 | 23.5 | 32.2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Unrecognized tax benefits |  |  | 33.4 | 23.0 | 37.4 | 31.8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Increase (decrease) in unrecognized tax benefits |  |  | (4.4) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued interest and penalties during the period |  |  | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.8 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued interest and penalties end of the period |  |  | 4.1 | 3.9 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Net operating loss carryforwards |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 744 | 100
Deferred income tax asset valuation allowance |  |  | $ 0 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

X
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- Definition The sum of domestic, foreign and state and local operating loss carryforwards, before tax effects, available to reduce future taxable income under enacted tax laws. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32559-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 109 -Paragraph 48 -Subparagraph a -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition The amount of the unrecognized tax benefit of a position taken for which it is reasonably possible that the total amount thereof will significantly increase or decrease within twelve months of the balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (d) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph d -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition Amount of undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries intended to be permanently reinvested outside the United States that are not subject to U.S. federal income taxes. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The gross amount of unrecognized tax benefits pertaining to uncertain tax positions taken in tax returns as of the balance sheet date. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Unrecognized Tax Benefit -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6527854 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph a -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition This element represents the total of accruals as of the date of the statement of financial position for interest recognized for an underpayment of income taxes computed by applying the applicable statutory rate of interest to the difference between a tax position recognized for financial reporting purposes and the amount previously taken or expected to be taken in a tax return of the entity and the amount of statutory penalties for a tax position claimed or expected to be claimed by the entity, in its tax return, that does not meet the minimum statutory threshold to avoid payment of penalties. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph c -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 15, 16 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition This element represents the total of interest expense recognized for an underpayment of income taxes computed by applying the applicable statutory rate of interest to the difference between a tax position recognized for financial reporting purposes and the amount previously taken or expected to be taken in a tax return of the entity and the amount of statutory penalties in the period in which the entity claims or expects to claim a tax position, in its tax return, that does not meet the minimum statutory threshold to avoid payment of penalties. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -Subparagraph (c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph c -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 15, 16 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition The net amount of all increases and decreases in unrecognized tax benefits for the period. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph a -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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- Definition The total amount of unrecognized tax benefits that, if recognized, would affect the effective tax rate. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15A -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name FASB Interpretation (FIN) -Number 48 -Paragraph 21 -Subparagraph b -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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