Condensed Financial Information	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2018
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements Disclosure [Text Block]	Note 1 – Condensed Financial Information The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, the financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, except certain material adjustments, as discussed below) which are necessary for a fair statement of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report filed on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. During the first quarter of 2018, the Company adopted guidance regarding the accounting for and disclosure of net sales and revenue recognition. The Company’s adoption, using the modified retrospective adoption approach, resulted in certain adjustments to its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2017. In addition, during the first quarter of 2018, the Company adopted an accounting standard update requiring that the statement of cash flows explain both the change in total cash and cash equivalents and also the amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. The guidance in this accounting standard update was required to be applied retrospectively which resulted in certain adjustments to the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2017. See Note 3 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Venezuela’s economy has been considered hyper inflationary under U.S. GAAP since 2010, at which time the Company’s Venezuela equity affiliate, Kelko Quaker Chemical, S.A. (“Kelko Venezuela”), changed its functional currency from the bolivar fuerte (“BsF”) to the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, all gains and losses resulting from the remeasurement of Kelko Venezuela’s monetary assets and liabilities to published exchange rates are required to be recorded directly to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The current Venezuelan exchange rate system is a dual exchange rate system, which consists of a protected DIPRO exchange rate, with a rate fixed at 10 BsF per U.S. dollars and, also, a floating exchange rate known as the DICOM. The Company does not believe it has access to the DIPRO and, therefore, believes the DICOM to be the exchange rate system available to Kelko Venezuela. Due to ongoing economic and political instability in Venezuela, the DICOM BsF per U.S. dollar exchange rate significantly declined during the three months ended March 31, 2018, and the Company recorded a currency conversion charge of $0.2 million to remeasure its equity investment in Kelko Venezuela to the current DICOM BsF per U.S. dollar exchange rate. There were no similar charges recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2018, the Company’s equity investment in Kelko Venezuela was less than $0.1 million, valued at the current DICOM exchange rate of approximately 50,000 BsF per U.S. dollar.

Note 1 – Condensed Financial Information

The condensed consolidated financial statements included herein are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial reporting and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) regulations. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, the financial statements reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, except certain material adjustments, as discussed below) which are necessary for a fair statement of the financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods. The results for the three months ended March 31, 2018 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year. These financial statements should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Annual Report filed on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017.

During the first quarter of 2018, the Company adopted guidance regarding the accounting for and disclosure of net sales and revenue recognition. The Company’s adoption, using the modified retrospective adoption approach, resulted in certain adjustments to its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2017. In addition, during the first quarter of 2018, the Company adopted an accounting standard update requiring that the statement of cash flows explain both the change in total cash and cash equivalents and also the amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents. The guidance in this accounting standard update was required to be applied retrospectively which resulted in certain adjustments to the Company’s Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for the three months ended March 31, 2017. See Note 3 of Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

Venezuela’s economy has been considered hyper inflationary under U.S. GAAP since 2010, at which time the Company’s Venezuela equity affiliate, Kelko Quaker Chemical, S.A. (“Kelko Venezuela”), changed its functional currency from the bolivar fuerte (“BsF”) to the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, all gains and losses resulting from the remeasurement of Kelko Venezuela’s monetary assets and liabilities to published exchange rates are required to be recorded directly to the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income. The current Venezuelan exchange rate system is a dual exchange rate system, which consists of a protected DIPRO exchange rate, with a rate fixed at 10 BsF per U.S. dollars and, also, a floating exchange rate known as the DICOM. The Company does not believe it has access to the DIPRO and, therefore, believes the DICOM to be the exchange rate system available to Kelko Venezuela. Due to ongoing economic and political instability in Venezuela, the DICOM BsF per U.S. dollar exchange rate significantly declined during the three months ended March 31, 2018, and the Company recorded a currency conversion charge of $0.2 million to remeasure its equity investment in Kelko Venezuela to the current DICOM BsF per U.S. dollar exchange rate. There were no similar charges recorded during the three months ended March 31, 2017. As of March 31, 2018, the Company’s equity investment in Kelko Venezuela was less than $0.1 million, valued at the current DICOM exchange rate of approximately 50,000 BsF per U.S. dollar.