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Financial Instruments - Additional Information (Detail) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) CAD / $ | Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |
Estimated fair value of currency forward contracts | $ (1,200,000) | $ (4,200,000)
Fair value of interest rate swap contract, current and noncurrent | 3,500,000 |
Marketable securities | 254,900,000 | 255,600,000
Interest Rate Swap |  |
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |
Fair value of interest rate swap contract, current | 3,300,000 |
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. | 2014 Term Loan |  |
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |
Estimated market price of the notes | 900 | 983.1
Principal amount of debt instrument | 1,000 | 1,000
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. | Interest Rate Swap | Libor Rate |  |
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |
Notional amount currency forward contract | $ 344,750,000 |
Derivative, type of instrument | pay-fixed/receive-variable interest rate swap |
Interest rate swap, type of interest rate | fixed |
Interest rate swap, fixed rate | 2.016% |
Interest rate swap, floor rate | 1.00% |
Interest rate swap, inception date | Aug. 07, 2015 |
Interest rate swap, effective date | Sep. 30, 2015 |
Interest rate swap, notional amount decline each quarter | $ 875,000 |
Interest rate swap, notional amount decline commencing date | Dec. 31, 2015 |
Interest rate swap, final maturity date | Feb. 29, 2020 |
Interest rate swap, gains or losses representing hedge ineffectiveness | $ 0 |
Pretax loss amount recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) related to interest rate swap contract | 4,400,000 |
Reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in to earnings | 900,000 |
Accumulated other comprehensive income expected to be reclassified to earnings in next twelve months | 3,500,000 |
Fair value of interest rate swap contract, current and noncurrent | 3,500,000 |
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. | Interest Rate Swap | Libor Rate | Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities |  |
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |
Fair value of interest rate swap contract, current | 3,300,000 |
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. | Interest Rate Swap | Libor Rate | Other Noncurrent Liabilities |  |
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |
Fair value of interest rate swap contract, noncurrent | 200,000 |
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. | Forward Contracts |  |
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |
Estimated fair value of currency forward contracts | 1,200,000 | 4,200,000
Estimated fair value of currency forward contracts included accounts payable and accrued liabilities |  | 4,200,000
Currency transaction loss | 1,200,000 | 4,200,000
Kronos Worldwide, Inc. | Canadian | Forward Contracts |  |
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |
Notional amount currency forward contract | $ 17,900,000 |
Exchange rate | CAD / $ | 1.29 |
Maturity rate of derivative | $ 2,600,000 |
Amalgamated Sugar Company LLC |  |
Financial Instrument At Fair Value [Line Items] |  |
Marketable securities | $ 250,000,000 | $ 250,000,000

X
- 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 When the derivative or group of derivatives presented is a swap, the type of interest rate (fixed, variable, stepped, etc.) paid on the swap. + 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 A -Footnote 1 + Details
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- Definition Investments in debt and equity securities which are categorized neither as held-to-maturity nor trading and which are intended to be sold or mature more than one year from the balance sheet date or operating cycle, if longer. Such securities are reported at fair value; unrealized gains (losses) related to Available-for-sale Securities are excluded from earnings and reported in a separate component of shareholders' equity (other comprehensive income), unless the Available-for-sale security is designated as a hedge or is determined to have had an other than temporary decline in fair value below its amortized cost basis. All or a portion of the unrealized holding gain (loss) of an Available-for-sale security that is designated as being hedged in a fair value hedge is recognized in earnings during the period of the hedge, as are other than temporary declines in fair value below the cost basis for investments in equity securities and debt securities that an entity intends to sell or it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell before the recovery of its amortized cost basis. Other than temporary declines in fair value below the cost basis for debt securities categorized as Available-for-sale that an entity does not intend to sell and for which it is not more likely than not that the entity will be required to sell before the recovery of its amortized cost basis are bifurcated into credit losses and losses related to all other factors. Other than temporary declines in fair value below cost basis related to credit losses are recognized in earnings, and losses related to all other factors are recognized in other comprehensive income. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Glossary Available-for-Sale Securities -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6505594 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 320 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49167202&loc=d3e26626-111562 + Details
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- Definition Floor rate on an interest rate derivative such as an interest rate floor or collar. If market rates falls below the floor rate, a payment or receipt is triggered on the contract. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Description of the type of derivative instrument, such as a swap, forward, and option. Excludes the underlying risk of the instrument. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1B -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5580258-113959 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(n)(2)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5579245-113959 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5579240-113959 + 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 4C -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=56946850&loc=SL5624171-113959 Reference 2: 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=56946850&loc=SL5618551-113959 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=56946850&loc=SL5624177-113959 + Details
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- Definition The net gain (loss) recognized in earnings during the period due to the ineffectiveness on interest rate fair value hedges. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 25 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a)(1) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6886632&loc=d3e76258-113986 + Details
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- Definition Carrying amount as of the balance sheet date of the liability arising from a financial instrument or a contract used to mitigate a specified risk (hedge), and which are expected to be converted into cash or otherwise disposed of within a year or the normal operating cycle, if longer. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682 + Details
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- Definition Fair value of liability arising from a financial instrument or contract used to mitigate a specified risk (hedge), expected to be settled after one year or beyond the normal operating cycle, if longer. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945355&loc=d3e41271-113958 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13495-108611 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 825 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 10 -Subparagraph (a) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49121117&loc=d3e13433-108611 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 815 -SubTopic 10 -Section 45 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6945355&loc=d3e41228-113958 + Details
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