Acquisitions Purchase Price (Details) £ in Millions, $ in Millions				1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 GBP (£)	Feb. 03, 2014 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 GBP (£)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Purchase Price
Cash paid					$ 699.9	$ 13,534.6
Debt Assumed						2,279.5
Purchase Price Payable					1.8
Cash acquired					(5.3)	(474.5)
Total Purchase Price					696.4	15,339.6
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Current assets					134.9	1,774.0
Property, plant and equipment					50.1	749.2
Goodwill					252.3	7,179.5
Other assets					4.5	246.8
Liabilities assumed					(34.8)	(3,809.8)
Total Purchase Price					$ 696.4	$ 15,339.6
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life (in years)					14 years	14 years	14 years
Other Information
Purchase Price Paid					$ 694.6	$ 13,060.1		$ 11.4
Purchase Price Paid For Acquisitions Completed In A Prior Year					11.0	13.0		40.0
In-Process Research and Development [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets						58.4
Customer Relationships [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets					$ 235.0	$ 5,890.0
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life (in years)					15 years	16 years	16 years
Product Technology [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets					$ 36.5	$ 2,632.4
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life (in years)					10 years	11 years	11 years
Tradenames and other [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets					$ 17.9	$ 619.1
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life (in years)					10 years	9 years	9 years
Alfa Aesar [Member]
Purchase Price
Cash paid	$ 392.3	£ 257
Purchase Price Payable	0.5
Cash acquired	(3.7)
Total Purchase Price	389.1
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Current assets	102.3
Property, plant and equipment	39.4
Goodwill	118.3
Other assets	4.3
Liabilities assumed	(27.9)
Total Purchase Price	389.1
Other Information
Revenue Reported by Acquired Entity | £							£ 78
Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount	41.0
Alfa Aesar [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets	137.1
Alfa Aesar [Member] | Tradenames and other [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets	$ 15.6
Advanced Scientifics, Inc. [Member]
Purchase Price
Cash paid				$ 289.1
Cash acquired				(0.3)
Total Purchase Price				288.8
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Current assets				28.0
Property, plant and equipment				10.6
Goodwill				125.1
Other assets				0.2
Liabilities assumed				(3.9)
Total Purchase Price				288.8
Other Information
Revenue Reported by Acquired Entity						$ 80.0
Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount				125.1
Advanced Scientifics, Inc. [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets				90.0
Advanced Scientifics, Inc. [Member] | Product Technology [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets				36.5
Advanced Scientifics, Inc. [Member] | Tradenames and other [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets				$ 2.3
Life Technologies Corporation [Member]
Purchase Price
Cash paid			$ 13,487.3
Debt Assumed			2,279.5
Cash acquired			(463.0)
Total Purchase Price			15,303.8
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Current assets			1,755.5
Property, plant and equipment			748.1
Goodwill			7,167.0
Other assets			246.7
Liabilities assumed			(3,800.9)
Total Purchase Price			15,303.8
Other Information
Revenue Reported by Acquired Entity								$ 3,870.0
Goodwill, Expected Tax Deductible Amount			0.0
Life Technologies Corporation [Member] | In-Process Research and Development [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets			58.4
Life Technologies Corporation [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets			5,883.0
Life Technologies Corporation [Member] | Product Technology [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets			2,626.9
Life Technologies Corporation [Member] | Tradenames and other [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets			$ 619.1
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member]
Purchase Price
Cash paid					$ 18.5	47.3
Purchase Price Payable					1.3
Cash acquired					(1.3)	(11.5)
Total Purchase Price					18.5	35.8
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Current assets					4.6	18.5
Property, plant and equipment					0.1	1.1
Goodwill					8.9	12.5
Other assets						0.1
Liabilities assumed					(3.0)	(8.9)
Total Purchase Price					18.5	35.8
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member] | Customer Relationships [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets					$ 7.9	7.0
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions [Member] | Product Technology [Member]
Net Assets Acquired [Abstract]
Definite-lived intangible assets						$ 5.5