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Fair Value Measurements and Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) |  |  |  | 9 Months Ended |  |
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Sep. 30, 2013 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2012 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2013 Amalgamated Sugar Company LLC USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Forward Contracts USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Canadian Dollar Forward Contracts USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Canadian Dollar Forward Contracts Minimum | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Canadian Dollar Forward Contracts Maximum | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Norwegian Kroner Forward Contracts United States Dollar USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Norwegian Kroner Forward Contracts United States Dollar Minimum | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Norwegian Kroner Forward Contracts United States Dollar Maximum | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Norwegian Kroner Forward Contracts Euro EUR (€) | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Norwegian Kroner Forward Contracts Euro Minimum EUR (€) | Sep. 30, 2013 Chemicals Norwegian Kroner Forward Contracts Euro Maximum EUR (€) | Dec. 31, 2012 Kronos Worldwide, Inc. Term Loan Per Thousand Dollar Principal Amount USD ($)
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Notional amount currency forward contract |  |  |  |  | $ 45,000,000 |  |  | $ 25,000,000 |  |  | € 16,000,000 |  |  |
Exchange floor rate |  |  |  |  |  | 1.02 | 1.06 |  | 5.84 | 6.14 |  | 7.55 | 8.07 |
Maturity rate of derivative |  |  |  |  | 3,000,000 |  |  | 5,000,000 |  |  |  | 2,000,000 | 5,000,000 |
Estimated fair value of currency forward contracts | (500,000) | 1,800,000 |  | 500,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts and other receivables |  |  |  | 800,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities |  |  |  | 1,300,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Currency transaction loss |  |  |  | 500,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Estimated market price of the notes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,017.5
Principal amount of debt instrument |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,000
Redemption price of investment |  |  | $ 250,000,000 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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- 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
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- Definition Amount of investment in debt and equity securities categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 25 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28360136&loc=d3e22054-111558 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -Subparagraph (aa) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=27724398&loc=d3e27232-111563 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6871852&loc=d3e26610-111562 + Details
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- 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 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6451184&loc=d3e28551-108399 Reference 2: 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=6584090&loc=d3e28878-108400 + Details
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- Definition Aggregate impact of foreign currency derivatives on earnings for the period. Includes impact of foreign currency cash flow hedge ineffectiveness and the ineffectiveness of fair value hedging derivatives and full change in fair value of the foreign currency derivatives not designated as hedging instruments. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4A -Subparagraph (b) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7476318&loc=SL5618551-113959 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4C -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7476318&loc=SL5624171-113959 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 25 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6886632&loc=d3e76258-113986 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4D -Subparagraph (a)(2) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7476318&loc=SL5624177-113959 + Details
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