Reportable Segments (Results of Reportable Segments) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011
Net Sales
Net sales	$ 394,732,000		$ 415,057,000		$ 1,297,378,000		$ 1,075,924,000
Operating profit (loss)
Operating profit (Loss)	21,478,000		(45,393,000)		33,751,000		20,384,000
Interest expense	(11,977,000)		(8,512,000)		(36,017,000)		(11,327,000)
Accelerated amortization of deferred financing fees	(1,249,000)		0		(1,249,000)		0
Interest income	192,000		294,000		530,000		981,000
Foreign exchange gain (loss)	(2,724,000)		7,425,000		(1,884,000)		7,264,000
Other expense, net	1,277,000		(547,000)		629,000		(876,000)
Non operating income (expense), total	(14,481,000)		(1,340,000)		(37,991,000)		(3,958,000)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax expense	6,997,000		(46,733,000)		(4,240,000)		16,426,000
Expenditures for property, plant & equipment
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment	17,890,000		13,960,000		47,017,000		26,405,000
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization	22,110,000		20,363,000		66,362,000		47,264,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Property					2,900,000
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Assets	0		9,693,000		2,857,000		9,693,000
VAC [Member]
Depreciation and amortization
Business Combination, Acquisition Related Costs			8,800,000				12,800,000
Magnetic Technologies [Member]
Net Sales
Net sales			106,572,000	[1]			106,572,000	[1]
Operating profit (loss)
Operating profit (Loss)	15,969,000	[1],[2]	(77,901,000)	[1],[2]	(274,000)	[1],[2]	(77,901,000)	[1],[2]
Expenditures for property, plant & equipment
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment	5,618,000	[1]	4,348,000	[1]	15,613,000	[1]	4,348,000	[1]
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization	9,833,000	[1]	7,338,000	[1]	30,055,000	[1]	7,338,000	[1]
Charges related to inventory purchase accounting	224,000		93,517,000		69,844,000		93,517,000
Magnetic Technologies [Member] | VAC [Member]
Net Sales
Net sales	144,410,000	[1]			502,925,000	[1]
Advanced Materials [Member]
Net Sales
Net sales	107,657,000		153,592,000		364,891,000		498,878,000
Operating profit (loss)
Operating profit (Loss)	3,659,000		20,767,000		15,693,000		69,748,000
Expenditures for property, plant & equipment
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment	8,970,000		3,819,000		22,667,000		8,984,000
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization	4,228,000		5,225,000		12,723,000		15,448,000
Specialty Chemicals [Member]
Net Sales
Net sales	103,636,000		120,622,000		318,763,000		369,954,000
Operating profit (loss)
Operating profit (Loss)	9,077,000	[3],[4]	24,719,000	[3],[4]	33,294,000	[3],[4]	56,311,000	[3],[4]
Expenditures for property, plant & equipment
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment	2,259,000		4,100,000		5,471,000		9,102,000
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization	5,296,000		5,624,000		15,558,000		17,044,000
Battery Technologies [Member]
Net Sales
Net sales	39,157,000		34,678,000		111,394,000		101,497,000
Operating profit (loss)
Operating profit (Loss)	5,926,000		3,742,000		17,644,000		12,567,000
Expenditures for property, plant & equipment
Expenditures for property, plant and equipment	1,043,000		1,693,000		3,266,000		3,971,000
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization	2,526,000		2,071,000		7,537,000		7,059,000
Corporate [Member]
Operating profit (loss)
Operating profit (Loss)	(13,153,000)	[5]	(16,720,000)	[5]	(32,606,000)	[5]	(40,341,000)	[5]
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization	227,000		105,000		489,000		375,000
Intersegment items [Member]
Net Sales
Net sales	(128,000)		(407,000)		(595,000)		(977,000)
U.S. Pension Plans [Member]
Depreciation and amortization
Settlement expense	$ 2,469,000		$ 0		$ 2,469,000		$ 0

[1] Includes the activity of VAC since the acquisition on August 2, 2011.

[2] Includes $0.2 million and $69.8 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, and $93.5 million in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, of charges related to the VAC inventory purchase accounting step-up and LCM charges. See further discussion of the charges related to inventory below.

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

[4] The three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 includes a $9.7 million property sale gain.

[5] Includes a $2.5 million settlement charge associated with the lump-sum cash settlement to certain participants in one of our U.S. defined benefit pension plans in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, and $8.8 million and $12.8 million of acquisition-related fees related to VAC in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, respectively.