2. Debt and Notes Payable (Details Narrative)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2016 MYR	Feb. 21, 2017 USD ($)	Feb. 21, 2017 MYR	Dec. 31, 2016 EUR (€)	Dec. 31, 2016 MYR	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank	$ 3,867,000							$ 4,964,000
Line of Credit [Member] | UNITED STATES
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity	1,000,000
Credit line balance outstanding	$ 0
Credit line interest rate	4.50%	4.50%	4.50%
Credit line expiration date	Oct. 15, 2017	Oct. 15, 2017	Oct. 15, 2017
Line of Credit [Member] | European [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity	$ 526,000
Credit line balance outstanding	$ 0
Credit line interest rate	2.90%	2.90%	2.90%
Credit line interest rate	bank prime plus 2.8% to the average 1-month EURIBOR plus the bank margin of 3.3%	bank prime plus 2.8% to the average 1-month EURIBOR plus the bank margin of 3.3%	bank prime plus 2.8% to the average 1-month EURIBOR plus the bank margin of 3.3%
TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line expiration date	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017
TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | HSBC [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Overdrafts [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity	$ 111,000
TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | HSBC [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Import/Export Line [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity	2,331,000
Credit line balance outstanding	206,000
TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | HSBC [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Foreign Exchange [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity	1,114,000
TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | RHB Bank Berhad [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Foreign Exchange [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity				$ 561,000
TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | RHB Bank Berhad [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Multi-Trade Line [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity				785,000
TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | RHB Bank Berhad [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Bank Guarantee [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity				$ 269,000
EURO [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | European [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity | €						€ 500,000
Credit line balance outstanding	$ 0
RM [Member] | TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | HSBC [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Overdrafts [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity | MYR							MYR 500,000
RM [Member] | TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | HSBC [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Import/Export Line [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity | MYR							10,460,000
Credit line balance outstanding | MYR							924,000
Credit line interest rate	5.02%	5.02%	5.02%
RM [Member] | TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | HSBC [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Foreign Exchange [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity | MYR							5,000,000
RM [Member] | TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | RHB Bank Berhad [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Foreign Exchange [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity | MYR					MYR 2,500,000
RM [Member] | TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | RHB Bank Berhad [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Multi-Trade Line [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity | MYR					3,500,000
RM [Member] | TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | RHB Bank Berhad [Member] | Line of Credit [Member] | Asian Operations [Member] | Bank Guarantee [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity | MYR					MYR 1,200,000
Euro term note 1 [Member] | Rabobank Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank	$ 206,000							235,000
Periodic payment frequency	monthly	monthly	monthly
Amount of periodic payment	$ 1,700
Euro term note 1 [Member] | Rabobank Bank [Member] | EURO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank | €						196,000
Amount of periodic payment | €		€ 1,616
Euro term note 2 [Member] | Rabobank Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank	$ 234,000							264,000
Periodic payment frequency	monthly	monthly	monthly
Amount of periodic payment	$ 1,648
Euro term note 2 [Member] | Rabobank Bank [Member] | EURO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank | €						223,000
Amount of periodic payment | €		€ 1,566
Euro term note 3 [Member] | Rabobank Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank	$ 947,000							1,087,000
Periodic payment frequency	monthly	monthly	monthly
Amount of periodic payment	$ 8,769
Euro term note 3 [Member] | Rabobank Bank [Member] | EURO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank | €						900,000
Amount of periodic payment | €		€ 8,333
Euro term note 4 [Member] | Rabobank Bank [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank	1,978,000							$ 2,554,000
Amount of periodic payment	41,215
Euro term note 4 [Member] | Rabobank Bank [Member] | EURO [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank | €						€ 1,880,000
Amount of periodic payment | €		€ 39,167
Malaysian term note [Member] | TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | HSBC [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank	502,000
Amount of periodic payment	18,575
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity	$ 1,114,000
Malaysian term note [Member] | RM [Member] | TOR Minerals Malaysia [Member] | HSBC [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Note payable to bank | MYR							2,250,000
Amount of periodic payment | MYR			MYR 83,333
Credit line maximum borrowing capacity | MYR							MYR 5,000,000