Special (Gains) and Charges (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011
Special (gains) and charges
Subtotal	$ 41.4	$ 14.6
Total special (gains) and charges	131.1	15.4
Cost of sales
Special (gains) and charges
Restructuring charges	2.1	0.8
Nalco merger and integration charges	73.9
Subtotal	76.0	0.8
Special (gains) and charges
Special (gains) and charges
Restructuring charges	26.5	10.4
Business structure and optimization		0.6
Nalco merger and integration charges	14.9
Cleantec acquisition integration charges		3.6
Subtotal	41.4	14.6
Interest expense, net
Special (gains) and charges
Nalco merger and integration charges	18.2
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest
Special (gains) and charges
Nalco merger and integration charges	(4.5)
Operating income subtotal
Special (gains) and charges
Subtotal	$ 117.4	$ 15.4

Amount charged against earnings in the period for costs incurred to optimize business structure.

No definition available.

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- Definition

Special gains and charges includes items that are unusual in nature, significant in amount and important to an understanding of underlying business performance.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

This element represents acquisition-related costs incurred to effect a business combination which costs have been expensed during the period. Such costs include finder's fees; advisory, legal, accounting, valuation, and other professional or consulting fees; general administrative costs, including the costs of maintaining an internal acquisitions department; and may include costs of registering and issuing debt and equity securities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141R

-Paragraph 59

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.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.

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-Topic 805

-SubTopic 10

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Costs incurred to effect a business combination which have been expensed during the period. Such costs could include business integration costs, systems integration and conversion costs, and severance and other employee-related costs.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

The aggregate amount of other nonrecurring expenses, not previously categorized, that are infrequent in occurrence or unusual in nature.

+ References

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 225

-SubTopic 20

-Section 50

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- Definition

Amount charged against earnings in the period for incurred and estimated costs associated with exit from or disposal of business activities or restructurings pursuant to a duly authorized plan, excluding asset retirement obligations.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 420

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (b)

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 5

-Section P

-Subsection 3, 4

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