Reportable Segments and Geographic Information (Reportable Segments) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended				3 Months Ended						6 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended				3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011		Jun. 30, 2011 VAC [Member]	Mar. 31, 2011 VAC [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Magnetic Technologies [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Magnetic Technologies [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Magnetic Technologies [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Magnetic Technologies [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Magnetic Technologies [Member] VAC [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Magnetic Technologies [Member] VAC [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Advanced Materials [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Advanced Materials [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Advanced Materials [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Advanced Materials [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Specialty Chemicals [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Specialty Chemicals [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Specialty Chemicals [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Specialty Chemicals [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Battery Technologies [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Battery Technologies [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Battery Technologies [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Battery Technologies [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Corporate [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Corporate [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Corporate [Member]		Jun. 30, 2011 Corporate [Member]		Jun. 30, 2012 Intersegment items [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Intersegment items [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Intersegment items [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Intersegment items [Member]
Net Sales
Net sales	$ 436,467,000		$ 329,522,000		$ 902,646,000		$ 660,867,000						$ 0	[1]			$ 0	[1]	$ 168,024,000	[2]	$ 358,515,000	[2]	$ 124,261,000		$ 165,206,000		$ 257,234,000		$ 345,286,000		$ 109,214,000		$ 128,749,000		$ 215,127,000		$ 249,332,000		$ 35,205,000		$ 35,843,000		$ 72,237,000		$ 66,819,000										$ (237,000)	$ (276,000)	$ (467,000)	$ (570,000)
Operating profit (loss)
Operating profit (Loss)	(22,163,000)		28,017,000		12,273,000		65,777,000				(30,146,000)	[1],[2]	0	[1],[2]	(16,243,000)	[1],[2]	0	[1],[2]					923,000		16,864,000		12,034,000		48,981,000		10,696,000	[3]	17,858,000	[3]	24,217,000	[3]	31,592,000	[3]	6,063,000		6,703,000		11,718,000		8,825,000		(9,699,000)	[4]	(13,408,000)	[4]	(19,453,000)	[4]	(23,621,000)	[4]
Interest expense	(11,828,000)		(1,393,000)		(24,040,000)		(2,815,000)
Interest income	186,000		467,000		338,000		687,000
Foreign exchange gain (loss)	5,861,000		(636,000)		840,000		(161,000)
Other expense, net	(357,000)		(324,000)		(648,000)		(329,000)
Non operating income (expense), total	(6,138,000)		(1,886,000)		(23,510,000)		(2,618,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense	(28,301,000)		26,131,000		(11,237,000)		63,159,000
Expenditures for property, plant & equipment
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment	18,309,000		9,117,000		29,127,000		12,445,000				6,499,000	[2]	0	[2]	9,995,000	[2]	0	[2]					8,560,000		4,146,000		13,697,000		5,165,000		2,248,000		3,600,000		3,212,000		5,002,000		1,002,000		1,371,000		2,223,000		2,278,000
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization	22,103,000	[5]	13,592,000	[5]	44,252,000	[5]	26,901,000	[5]			10,010,000	[2],[5]	0	[2],[5]	20,222,000	[2],[5]	0	[2],[5]					4,271,000	[5]	5,151,000	[5]	8,495,000	[5]	10,223,000	[5]	5,166,000	[5]	5,790,000	[5]	10,262,000	[5]	11,420,000	[5]	2,509,000	[5]	2,503,000	[5]	5,011,000	[5]	4,988,000	[5]	147,000	[5]	148,000	[5]	262,000	[5]	270,000	[5]
Charges related to inventory purchase accounting											53,891,000		0		69,620,000		0
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Property					2,900,000
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs									$ 4,000,000	$ 4,000,000

[1] Includes $53.9 million and $69.6 million in the three and six months ended June 30, 2012, respectively, of charges related to the VAC inventory purchase accounting step-up and LCM charges. See further discussion of the charges related to inventory below.

[2] VAC was acquired on August 2, 2011. Because we acquired VAC in the third quarter of 2011, the table above does not include comparable results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011.

[3] The six months ended June 30, 2012 includes a $2.9 million property sale gain.

[4] Includes $4.0 million of acquisition-related fees related to VAC in the three and six months ended June 30, 2011.

[5] Excludes amortization of deferred financing fees.