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Credit Facility [Axis] Credit Facility [Axis] Investment in significant unconsolidated joint ventures Investment In Significant Unconsolidated Joint Ventures Investment in significant unconsolidated joint ventures. 2022 Letters Of Credit And Guarantees Due In Three Years Letters of credit and guarantees due in three years. Equity [Abstract] Equity [Abstract] Assets offsetting unrecognized tax benefits Assets Offsetting Unrecognized Tax Benefits Offsetting benefits to liabilities related to uncertain tax positions. 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Entity Address, Postal Zip Code Entity Address, Postal Zip Code Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward] Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward] Aggregate annual maturities of long-term debt, 2021 Long-Term Debt, Maturity, Year Two Environmental remediation liabilities- undiscounted Accrual For Environmental Loss Contingencies Undiscounted For Accruals Qualifying For Discounting Accrual For Environmental Loss Contingencies Undiscounted For Accruals Qualifying For Discounting All Other Other Segments [Member] Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage Preferred Stock, Dividend Rate, Percentage Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity Five Point Zero Five Percent Senior Notes Five Point Zero Five Percent Senior Notes [Member] Five Point Zero Five Percent Senior Notes Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract] Depreciation Deferred Tax Liabilities, Property, Plant and Equipment Domestic Equity Equity securities Defined Benefit Plan, Equity Securities, US [Member] Sales of marketable securities, net Payments for (Proceeds from) Investments in Marketable Securities Payments for (Proceeds from) Investments in Marketable Securities Shares withheld for withholding taxes associated with common stock issuances (in shares) Shares Turned In For Tax Withholding Shares Number of shares in shares turned in for tax withholding. Foreign currency exchange rate losses Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Gain (Loss) Foreign Currency Exchange Rate Gain (Loss) Statistical Measurement [Domain] Statistical Measurement [Domain] Statistical Measurement [Domain] Concentration Risk, Threshold Percentage Concentration Risk, Threshold Percentage [Member] Concentration Risk, Threshold Percentage Divestitures Finite Lived Intangible Assets Accumulated Amortization Reclass to Assets Held for Sale Finite Lived Intangible Assets Accumulated Amortization Reclass to Assets Held for Sale Lapses in statutes of limitations/settlements Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Reduction Resulting from Lapse of Applicable Statute of Limitations Long-lived assets Long-Lived Assets Total net pension benefits cost (credit) Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) Domestic Country Domestic Tax Authority [Member] Repayments of debt Repayments of Debt Net property, plant and equipment Property, Plant, and Equipment and Finance Lease Right-of-Use Asset, after Accumulated Depreciation and Amortization Foreign currency forward contracts, liabilities Foreign Currency Contracts, Liability, Fair Value Disclosure Net income attributable to Albemarle Corporation Net income attributable to joint venture Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent Payment terms Revenue, Performance Obligation, Payment Terms Revenue, Performance Obligation, Payment Terms Leases Lessee, Finance Leases [Text Block] Other Other Intangible Assets [Member] Revaluation of unrecognized tax benefits/reserve requirements Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation Revaluation Of Unrecognized Tax Benefits Reserve Requirements Effect of Revaluation of unrecognized tax benefits / reserve requirements on effective income tax rate reconciliation. 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Lithium Hydroxide Conversion Assets Lithium Hydroxide Conversion Assets [Member] Lithium Hydroxide Conversion Assets [Member] Shares withheld for withholding taxes associated with common stock issuances Shares Turned In For Tax Withholding Value Shares turned in for tax withholding, value. Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items] Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items] Receivables [Abstract] Receivables [Abstract] Document Annual Report Document Annual Report Legal Entity [Axis] Legal Entity [Axis] Geographical [Axis] Geographical [Axis] Other Accounts Receivable Schedule Of Other Accounts Receivable [Table Text Block] Schedule Of Other Accounts Receivable. Percent of total net sales Percent of Total Net Sales Percent of Total Net Sales Noncurrent liabilities (pension benefits) Liability, Defined Benefit Plan, Noncurrent Interest percentage acquired Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired Issuance of common stock, net Stock Issued During Period, Value, New Issues Other Variable Interest Entities Excluding Windfield Holdings Other Variable Interest Entities Excluding Windfield Holdings [Member] Other Variable Interest Entities Excluding Windfield Holdings [Member] Property, Plant and Equipment, at Cost Property, Plant and Equipment [Table Text Block] Preferred shares issued (in shares) Preferred Stock, Shares Issued Shares Share-Based Compensation Arrangement by Share-Based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward] Concentration Risk Benchmark [Domain] Concentration Risk Benchmark [Domain] Interest and Dividends Payable Interest and Dividends Payable 2023 Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payment, Year Three Stores, supplies and other Inventory, Supplies, Net of Reserves Amounts reclassified within accumulated other comprehensive income Reclassification Within Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax Reclassification Within Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, Current Period, Net of Tax Segments [Axis] Segments [Axis] Revision of tax indemnification expense Revision of tax indemnification expense Revision of tax indemnification expense Product and Service [Domain] Product and Service [Domain] Raw materials and work in process Inventory, Work in Process and Raw Materials, Net of Reserves Entity Shell Company Entity Shell Company 2035 Tax Year 2035 [Member] Tax Year 2035 [Member] Reductions for tax positions related to prior years Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decrease Resulting from Prior Period Tax Positions Other Restructuring Costs Other Restructuring Costs Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets Schedule of Allocation of Plan Assets [Table Text Block] Concentration Risk [Table] Concentration Risk [Table] Operating lease liability payments due next twelve months Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, to be Paid, Year One Financial Instrument [Axis] Financial Instrument [Axis] Aggregate annual maturities of long-term debt, 2022 Long-Term Debt, Maturity, Year Three Operating Lease, Liability, Noncurrent, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible List] Operating Lease, Liability, Noncurrent, Statement of Financial Position [Extensible Enumeration] Subsequent Event Subsequent Event [Member] Consolidation Items [Domain] Consolidation Items [Domain] Restricted Stock And Restricted Stock Units Restricted Stock And Restricted Stock Units [Member] Restricted Stock And Restricted Stock Units [Member] Document Period End Date Document Period End Date Other Current Assets Other Current Assets [Text Block] Components and Activity in Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income, Net of Deferred Income Taxes Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block] Total assets Identifiable Assets Assets Earnings Per Share [Abstract] Earnings Per Share [Abstract] Cash Proceeds from Divestiture Cash Proceeds from Divestiture Cash Proceeds from Divestiture Private equity securities Equity Securities, FV-NI, Current Repayments of commercial paper Repayments of Commercial Paper Interest Rate Swap Interest Rate Swap [Member] Accrued Expenses Schedule of Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities [Table Text Block] Beginning balance (in shares) Ending balance (in shares) Shares, Issued Net pension liability Liability, Defined Benefit Plan Exercised (in dollars per share) Share-Based Compensation Arrangements by Share-Based Payment Award, Options, Exercises in Period, Weighted Average Exercise Price Operating lease liability payments due year five Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, to be Paid, Year Five Investments Total Long-Term Investments Change in percentage of broad asset class targets Percentage Variance Of Asset Class Targets The positive / negative variance for Asset Class Targets. 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Foreign exchange gain Defined Benefit Plan, Benefit Obligation, Foreign Currency Translation Gain (Loss) Germany GERMANY 2026-2030 Defined Benefit Plan, Expected Future Benefit Payment, after Year Five for Next Five Years Transition tax on foreign earnings, current Tax Cuts Jobs Act Of 2017, Transition Tax For Accumulated Foreign Earnings, Liability, Current Tax Cuts Jobs Act Of 2017, Transition Tax For Accumulated Foreign Earnings, Liability, Current Noncontrolling interests Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] Statement of Financial Position [Abstract] Asset retirement obligations Amounts reported in Other noncurrent liabilities Asset Retirement Obligations, Noncurrent Brazil BRAZIL Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table] Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table] Auditor Name Auditor Name Pension Plans Pension Plans Pension Plan [Member] Net operating loss carryovers Operating 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liability payments due year three Lessee, Operating Lease, Liability, to be Paid, Year Three Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items] Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business, net of tax Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business, net of tax Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business, net of tax Share Based Compensation [Line Items] Share Based Compensation [Line Items] Share Based Compensation [Line Items] Number of semi annual coupon payments Number of Semi Annual Coupon Payments Number of Semi Annual Coupon Payments Land improvements Land Improvements [Member] Inventories Inventory, Policy [Policy Text Block] Concentration Risk Type [Domain] Concentration Risk Type [Domain] Counterparty Name [Domain] Counterparty Name [Domain] Total Albemarle Corporation shareholders’ equity Stockholders' Equity Attributable to Parent Right-of-use asset obtained in exchange for finance leases Right-of-Use Asset Obtained in Exchange for Finance Lease Liability 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