Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jul. 18, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income	$ 18,700,000	$ 12,300,000	$ 12,700,000	$ 6,400,000	$ 29,000,000	$ 32,900,000	$ 24,000,000	$ 16,600,000	$ 23,300,000	$ 35,600,000	$ 50,100,000	$ 102,500,000	$ 58,900,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Loss on firm purchase commitment												0	18,500,000
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											96,000,000	80,800,000	58,400,000
Share-based compensation expense											7,600,000	6,700,000	2,100,000
Deferred income tax expense											1,600,000	34,300,000	24,000,000
Payments in excess of expense for retirement plans											(2,200,000)	(6,600,000)	5,800,000
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries											0	0	0
Loss from equity method investment											2,200,000	0	0
Changes in working capital pertaining to operating activities (net of acquisitions):
Receivables											(18,100,000)	(3,800,000)	(18,300,000)
Inventories											29,200,000	56,100,000	(110,100,000)
Accounts payable											20,000,000	(49,000,000)	57,000,000
Accrued liabilities											(24,700,000)	15,200,000	15,700,000
Interest payable											2,500,000	(200,000)	15,900,000
Income taxes payable											(10,200,000)	(17,400,000)	(21,300,000)
Other											(2,700,000)	(12,500,000)	(5,300,000)
Net cash provided by operating activities											151,300,000	206,100,000	101,300,000
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures											(145,600,000)	(80,600,000)	(238,100,000)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash received											113,300,000	3,500,000	37,600,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired											67,700,000		0
Net cash used in investing activities											(326,600,000)	(84,100,000)	(275,700,000)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common units of SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P.											237,800,000	0	0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt											150,000,000	0	727,900,000
Repayment of long-term debt											(225,000,000)	(3,300,000)	(1,600,000)
Debt issuance cost											(6,900,000)	0	(19,100,000)
Proceeds from revolving facility											40,000,000
Proceeds from exercise of stock options											2,500,000	4,700,000	0
Repurchase of common stock											(10,900,000)	(9,400,000)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options													(34,000,000)
Net increase (decrease) in advances from affiliate												0	(412,800,000)
Repayments of notes payable assumed in acquisition												0	(2,300,000)
Increase in payable to affiliate											0	0	5,300,000
Cash distributions to noncontrolling interests											(17,800,000)	(2,300,000)	(1,600,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities											169,700,000	(10,300,000)	261,800,000
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents											(5,600,000)	111,700,000	87,400,000
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				239,200,000				127,500,000		40,100,000	239,200,000	127,500,000	40,100,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	233,600,000				239,200,000				127,500,000		233,600,000	239,200,000	127,500,000
Issuer
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income											25,000,000	98,800,000	60,600,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Loss on firm purchase commitment													0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											0	0	0
Share-based compensation expense											7,600,000	6,700,000	2,100,000
Deferred income tax expense											0	(1,000,000)	(2,000,000)
Payments in excess of expense for retirement plans											0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries											(56,200,000)	(138,900,000)	(75,000,000)
Loss from equity method investment											0
Changes in working capital pertaining to operating activities (net of acquisitions):
Receivables											0	0	0
Inventories											0	0	0
Accounts payable											(600,000)	500,000	0
Accrued liabilities											0	0	600,000
Interest payable											(2,100,000)	(200,000)	15,900,000
Income taxes payable											(23,500,000)	(17,200,000)	(1,800,000)
Other											7,100,000	(4,900,000)	(5,400,000)
Net cash provided by operating activities											(42,700,000)	(56,200,000)	(5,000,000)
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures											0	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash received											0	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired											0
Net cash used in investing activities											0	0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common units of SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P.											0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt											0		727,900,000
Repayment of long-term debt											0	(3,300,000)	(1,600,000)
Debt issuance cost											(1,600,000)		(19,100,000)
Proceeds from revolving facility											0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options											2,500,000	4,700,000
Repurchase of common stock											(10,900,000)	(9,400,000)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options													0
Net increase (decrease) in advances from affiliate												64,200,000	(702,200,000)
Repayments of notes payable assumed in acquisition													0
Increase in payable to affiliate											52,700,000
Cash distributions to noncontrolling interests											0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities											42,700,000	56,200,000	5,000,000
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents											0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				0				0		0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	0				0				0		0	0	0
Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income											64,500,000	148,500,000	78,500,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Loss on firm purchase commitment													0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											44,100,000	38,100,000	32,900,000
Share-based compensation expense											0	0	0
Deferred income tax expense											1,600,000	(4,000,000)	8,900,000
Payments in excess of expense for retirement plans											(2,100,000)	(6,600,000)	5,800,000
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries											(88,600,000)	(95,500,000)	(24,100,000)
Loss from equity method investment											0
Changes in working capital pertaining to operating activities (net of acquisitions):
Receivables											(24,600,000)	(5,900,000)	(5,800,000)
Inventories											13,100,000	33,800,000	(53,100,000)
Accounts payable											(1,000,000)	(35,700,000)	60,500,000
Accrued liabilities											(8,000,000)	17,000,000	8,500,000
Interest payable											(7,300,000)	7,300,000	0
Income taxes payable											26,300,000	(900,000)	(48,500,000)
Other											(1,500,000)	(21,600,000)	2,700,000
Net cash provided by operating activities											16,500,000	74,500,000	66,300,000
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures											(33,100,000)	(47,300,000)	(61,200,000)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash received											0	3,500,000	37,600,000
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired											0
Net cash used in investing activities											(33,100,000)	(50,800,000)	(98,800,000)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common units of SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P.											0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt											0		0
Repayment of long-term debt											0	0	0
Debt issuance cost											0		0
Proceeds from revolving facility											0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options											0	0
Repurchase of common stock											0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options													(34,000,000)
Net increase (decrease) in advances from affiliate												73,800,000	170,600,000
Repayments of notes payable assumed in acquisition													(2,300,000)
Increase in payable to affiliate											(5,600,000)		7,600,000
Cash distributions to noncontrolling interests											0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities											(5,600,000)	73,800,000	141,900,000
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents											(22,200,000)	97,500,000	109,400,000
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				206,900,000				109,400,000		0	206,900,000	109,400,000	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	184,700,000				206,900,000				109,400,000		184,700,000	206,900,000	109,400,000
Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income											105,400,000	89,600,000	18,900,000
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Loss on firm purchase commitment													18,500,000
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											51,900,000	42,700,000	25,500,000
Share-based compensation expense											0	0	0
Deferred income tax expense											0	39,300,000	17,100,000
Payments in excess of expense for retirement plans											(100,000)	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries											0	0	0
Loss from equity method investment											2,200,000
Changes in working capital pertaining to operating activities (net of acquisitions):
Receivables											6,500,000	2,100,000	(12,500,000)
Inventories											16,100,000	22,300,000	(57,000,000)
Accounts payable											21,600,000	(13,800,000)	(3,500,000)
Accrued liabilities											(16,700,000)	(1,800,000)	6,600,000
Interest payable											11,900,000	(7,300,000)	0
Income taxes payable											(13,000,000)	700,000	29,000,000
Other											(8,300,000)	14,000,000	(2,600,000)
Net cash provided by operating activities											177,500,000	187,800,000	40,000,000
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures											(112,500,000)	(33,300,000)	(176,900,000)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash received											113,300,000	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired											67,700,000
Net cash used in investing activities											(293,500,000)	(33,300,000)	(176,900,000)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common units of SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P.											237,800,000
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt											150,000,000		0
Repayment of long-term debt											(225,000,000)	0	0
Debt issuance cost											(5,300,000)		0
Proceeds from revolving facility											40,000,000
Proceeds from exercise of stock options											0	0
Repurchase of common stock											0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options													0
Net increase (decrease) in advances from affiliate												(138,000,000)	118,800,000
Repayments of notes payable assumed in acquisition													0
Increase in payable to affiliate											(47,100,000)		(2,300,000)
Cash distributions to noncontrolling interests											(17,800,000)	(2,300,000)	(1,600,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities											132,600,000	(140,300,000)	114,900,000
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents											16,600,000	14,200,000	(22,000,000)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				32,300,000				18,100,000		40,100,000	32,300,000	18,100,000	40,100,000
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	48,900,000				32,300,000				18,100,000		48,900,000	32,300,000	18,100,000
Combining and Consolidating Adjustments
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income											(144,800,000)	(234,400,000)	(99,100,000)
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:
Loss on firm purchase commitment													0
Depreciation, depletion and amortization											0	0	0
Share-based compensation expense											0	0	0
Deferred income tax expense											0	0	0
Payments in excess of expense for retirement plans											0	0	0
Equity in earnings of subsidiaries											144,800,000	234,400,000	99,100,000
Loss from equity method investment											0
Changes in working capital pertaining to operating activities (net of acquisitions):
Receivables											0	0	0
Inventories											0	0	0
Accounts payable											0	0	0
Accrued liabilities											0	0	0
Interest payable											0	0	0
Income taxes payable											0	0	0
Other											0	0	0
Net cash provided by operating activities											0	0	0
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Capital expenditures											0	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash received											0	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired											0
Net cash used in investing activities											0	0	0
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Proceeds from issuance of common units of SunCoke Energy Partners, L.P.											0
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt											0		0
Repayment of long-term debt											0	0	0
Debt issuance cost											0		0
Proceeds from revolving facility											0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options											0	0
Repurchase of common stock											0	0
Proceeds from exercise of stock options													0
Net increase (decrease) in advances from affiliate												0	0
Repayments of notes payable assumed in acquisition													0
Increase in payable to affiliate											0		0
Cash distributions to noncontrolling interests											0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities											0	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents											0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year				0				0		0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 0				$ 0				$ 0		$ 0	$ 0	$ 0