Financial Instrument, Risk Management and Fair Value Measurements, Fair Value (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended						3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended				12 Months Ended																																																																	6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended																		3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2013		Jun. 30, 2012		Dec. 31, 2012		Jun. 30, 2013 Other Restructuring Activities [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Other Restructuring Activities [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Other Restructuring Activities [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Other Restructuring Activities [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Other Restructuring Activities [Member]	Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] Energy Contracts [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] Energy Contracts [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] Other Contract [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member] Other Contract [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Energy Contracts [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Energy Contracts [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Other Contract [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] Other Contract [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Energy Contracts [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Energy Contracts [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Other Contract [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] Other Contract [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Foreign Exchange Contracts [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Energy Contracts [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Energy Contracts [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Other Contract [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] Other Contract [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member]		Jun. 30, 2013 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2012 Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member] Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member]		Mar. 31, 2013 FMC Minerals [Member] Other Restructuring Activities [Member]	Dec. 31, 2012 FMC Agricultural Solutions [Member] Other Restructuring Activities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value, Gross Asset	$ 14.9	[1]			$ 14.9	[1]			$ 6.1	[1]														$ 9.2	[2]	$ 1.5	[2]					$ 0.1	[2]	$ 0.2	[2]					$ 0	[2]	$ 0	[2]					$ 0	[2]	$ 0	[2]					$ 9.2	[2]	$ 1.5	[2]					$ 0.1	[2]	$ 0.2	[2]					$ 0	[2]	$ 0	[2]					$ 0	[2]	$ 0	[2]
Long Lived Assets to be Abandoned, Fair Value Disclosure																																																																																								2.6	[3]	3.1	[4]	0	[3]	0	[4]	0	[3]	0	[4]	2.6	[3]	3.1	[4]
Disposal Group, Not Discontinued Operation, Loss (Gain) on Write-down	1.0	[5]	1.4	[5]	2.0	[5]	1.8	[5]			0	[5]	1.4	[5]	0	[5]	1.8	[5]	3.1																																																																																					0	0
Other Assets, Fair Value Disclosure																				38.4	[6]	33.0	[6]													38.4	[6]	33.0	[6]													0	[6]	0	[6]													0	[6]	0	[6]
Assets, Fair Value Disclosure																				47.7		34.7														38.4		33.0														9.3		1.7														0		0																		2.6		3.1		0		0		0		0		2.6		3.1
Derivative Liability, Fair Value, Gross Liability	14.3	[7]			14.3	[7]			8.3	[7]														7.0	[2]	2.4	[2]	1.7	[2]	1.5	[2]									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]									7.0	[2]	2.4	[2]	1.7	[2]	1.5	[2]									0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]	0	[2]
Business Acquisition, Contingent Consideration, at Fair Value																				0.5	[8]	1.0	[8]													0	[8]	0	[8]													0	[8]	0	[8]													0.5	[8]	1.0	[8]
Other Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure																				43.2	[9]	39.8	[9]													43.2	[9]	39.8	[9]													0	[9]	0	[9]													0	[9]	0	[9]
Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure																				52.4		44.7														43.2		39.8														8.7		3.9														0.5		1.0																		7.3		5.6		0		0		7.3		5.6		0		0
Restructuring Charges	(4.4)		(4.3)		(12.8)		(5.4)				(0.9)		(4.3)		(3.5)		(5.4)																																																																			(2.0)	[3]	(15.9)	[4]
Liabilities Associated with Exit Activities, Fair Value Disclosure																																																																																								7.3	[10]	5.6	[11]	0	[10]	0	[11]	7.3	[10]	5.6	[11]	0	[10]	0	[11]
Restructuring and Related Cost, Incurred Cost																																																																																				$ (7.3)	[10]	$ (5.6)	[11]

[1] Net balance is included in “Prepaid and other current assets” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

[2] See the Fair Value of Derivative Instruments table within this Note for classification on our condensed consolidated balance sheet.

[3] We recorded charges to write down the value of certain long-lived assets within our FMC Minerals segment, related to our Lithium restructuring, to their fair value. A portion of the assets were written down to zero during the first quarter of 2013 as they have no future use and are anticipated to be demolished.

[4] We recorded charges to write down the value of certain long-lived assets to be abandoned within our FMC Agricultural Solutions and FMC Minerals segments to zero and in our FMC Peroxygens segments to their salvage value of $3.1 million, respectively. These long-lived assets have no future use and are anticipated to be demolished. The loss noted in the above table represents the accelerated depreciation of these assets recorded during the period.

[5] Primarily represents accelerated depreciation and impairment charges on long-lived assets, which were or are to be abandoned. To the extent incurred, the acceleration effect of re-estimating settlement dates and revised cost estimates associated with asset retirement obligations due to facility shutdowns are also included within the asset disposal charges, see Note 8.

[6] Consists of a deferred compensation arrangement, through which we hold various investment securities, recognized on our balance sheet. Both the asset and liability are recorded at fair value. Asset amounts included in “Other assets” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

[7] Net balance is included in “Accrued and other liabilities” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

[8] Represents contingent consideration associated with acquisitions completed during 2011. See Note 3 for more information. The changes in this Level 3 liability represented payments made against the liability.

[9] Consists of a deferred compensation arrangement recognized on our balance sheet. Both the asset and liability are recorded at fair value. Liability amounts included in “Other long-term liabilities” in the condensed consolidated balance sheets.

[10] This amount represents severance liabilities associated with the Lithium restructuring as further described in Note 7.

[11] This amount represents severance liabilities associated with the Zeolites shutdown within our FMC Peroxygens segment.