Sigma Aldrich (SIAL) 10-Q 22 Oct 13 2013 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_And_Entity_Informatio

Document And Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-13
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2013
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Entity Registrant Name	SIGMA ALDRICH CORP
Entity Central Index Key	90185
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	119,665,716

Consolidated_Statements_Of_Inc

Consolidated Statements Of Income (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Income Statement [Abstract]
Sales	$664	$639	$2,020	$1,968
Cost of products and services sold	330	315	1,001	949
Gross profit	334	324	1,019	1,019
Selling, general and administrative expenses	150	147	458	458
Research and development expenses	16	17	49	53
Restructuring and other charges	10	4	22	13
Operating income	158	156	490	495
Interest, net	1	1	3	3
Income before income taxes	157	155	487	492
Provision for income taxes	38	43	127	148
Net income	$119	$112	$360	$344
Net income per share - Basic (in dollars per share)	$0.99	$0.93	$3	$2.84
Net income per share - Diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.98	$0.92	$2.98	$2.82
Weighted average number of shares outstanding - Basic (in shares)	120	121	120	121
Weighted average number of shares outstanding - Diluted (in shares)	121	122	121	122
Dividends per share (in dollars per share)	$0.22	$0.20	$0.65	$0.60

Consolidated_Statements_Of_Com

Consolidated Statements Of Comprehensive Income (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$119	$112	$360	$344
Other comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax:
Foreign currency translation gain/(loss), net	60	31	-12	9
Pension and post retirement, net	1	1	3	4
Unrealized gain/(loss) on securities, net	-1	1	-3	4
Unrealized gain/(loss) on forward exchange contracts, net	-11	0	-1	0
Total other comprehensive income/(loss)	49	33	-13	17
Comprehensive income	$168	$145	$347	$361

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$688	$724
Accounts receivable	390	356
Inventories	715	722
Deferred taxes	30	32
Other	82	95
Total current assets	1,905	1,929
Property, plant and equipment:
Property, plant and equipment	2,073	2,011
Less - accumulated depreciation	-1,267	-1,182
Property, plant and equipment, net	806	829
Goodwill	687	691
Intangibles, net	261	282
Other	120	89
Total assets	3,779	3,820
Current liabilities:
Notes payable	114	383
Accounts payable	165	160
Payroll	66	55
Income taxes	30	26
Other	87	77
Total current liabilities	462	701
Long-term debt	300	300
Pension and post-retirement benefits	133	135
Deferred taxes	59	64
Other	77	74
Total liabilities	1,031	1,274
Stockholders' equity:
Common stock, $1.00 par value; 300 million shares authorized; 202 million shares issued at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012; 120 million shares outstanding at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012	202	202
Capital in excess of par value	315	276
Common stock in treasury, at cost, 82 million shares at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012	-2,377	-2,271
Retained earnings	4,552	4,270
Accumulated other comprehensive income	56	69
Total stockholders' equity	2,748	2,546
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$3,779	$3,820

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Common Stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$1	$1
Common Stock, shares authorized	300,000,000	300,000,000
Common Stock, shares issued	202,000,000	202,000,000
Common Stock, shares outstanding	120,000,000	120,000,000
Common Stock in treasury, shares	82,000,000	82,000,000

Consolidated_Statements_Of_Cas

Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$360	$344
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	103	101
Deferred income taxes	-2	23
Stock-based compensation expense	18	13
Restructuring	8	1
Other	-13	-6
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	-39	-38
Inventories	-2	-43
Accounts payable	6	-6
Income taxes	5	-17
Other, net	42	7
Net cash provided by operating activities	486	379
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	-75	-89
Purchases of investments	-96	-77
Proceeds from sales of investments	74	81
Acquisitions of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	-389
Proceeds from sale of net assets	9	0
Other, net	0	-6
Net cash used in investing activities	-88	-480
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net issuance/(repayment) of short-term debt	-269	152
Dividends	-78	-73
Share repurchases	-115	-99
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	25	31
Excess tax benefits from stock-based payments	6	10
Net cash provided by/(used in) financing activities	-431	21
Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash	-3	4
Net change in cash and cash equivalents	-36	-76
Cash and cash equivalents at January 1	724	665
Cash and cash equivalents at September 30	688	589
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:
Income taxes paid	116	130
Interest paid, net of capitalized interest	$4	$4

Basis_Of_Presentation

Basis Of Presentation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Basis Of Presentation	Basis of Presentation
	Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, is a leading Life Science and High Technology company whose biochemical and organic chemical products, kits and services are used in scientific research, including genomic and proteomic research, biotechnology, pharmaceutical development, the diagnosis of disease and as key components in pharmaceutical, diagnostics and high technology manufacturing.
	The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP for interim financial information, the SEC's instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X and, accordingly, do not include all information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. For further information, refer to the notes to the Company's consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of the Annual Report. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included in these consolidated financial statements. Operating results for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2013.

Reclassifications

Reclassifications	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Reclassifications [Abstract]
Reclassifications	Reclassifications
	Certain reclassifications of prior year amounts have been made to conform to the current year presentation.

New_Accounting_Pronouncements

New Accounting Pronouncements	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
New Accounting Pronouncements	New Accounting Pronouncements
	In February 2013, the FASB issued ASU No. 2013-02, "Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income" that requires entities to disclose either on the face of or in the notes to the financial statements the effects of reclassifications out of AOCI. For items reclassified out of AOCI and into net income in their entirety, entities must disclose the effect of the reclassification on each affected net income item. For items that are not reclassified in their entirety into net income, entities must provide a cross reference to other required disclosures. This ASU does not change the items currently reported in other comprehensive income and is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012 and interim periods within those years. The adoption of these provisions did not have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements of the Company.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes
	There were no material changes in the unrecognized tax benefits of the Company during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013.

Inventories

Inventories	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Inventories	Inventories
	The principal categories of inventories are:
		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013
	Finished goods	$	579	$	585
	Work in process	34		36
	Raw materials	102		101
	Total	$	715	$	722

Intangible_Assets

Intangible Assets	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Intangible Assets	Intangible Assets
	The Company’s amortizable and unamortizable intangible assets at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 are as follows:
		Cost					Accumulated Amortization
		September 30,			December 31, 2012		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013					2013
	Amortizable intangible assets:
	Patents	$	15		$	14	$	9	$	8
	Licenses	48			47		20		17
	Customer relationships	252			255		73		61
	Technical knowledge	48			48		18		15
	Other	29			29		23		22
	Total amortizable intangible assets	$	392		$	393	$	143	$	123
	Unamortizable intangible assets:
	Goodwill	$	713		$	717	$	26	$	26
	Trademarks and trade names	20			20		8		8
	Total unamortizable intangible assets	$	733		$	737	$	34	$	34
	The Company recorded amortization expense of $6 and $8 for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, related to amortizable intangible assets. For the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, the Company recorded amortization expense of $20 and $24, respectively, related to amortizable intangible assets. Amortizable intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives, which range from one to twenty years, using the straight-line method. The Company expects to record annual amortization expense for all existing intangible assets in a range from approximately $21 to $27 from 2013 through 2017.
	The change in net goodwill for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 is as follows:
	Balance at December 31, 2012	$	691
	Acquisitions and Divestitures	(2		)
	Impact of foreign currency exchange rates	(2		)
	Balance at September 30, 2013	$	687
	Acquisition and divestiture activity during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 is related to the finalization of purchase accounting for certain acquisitions as well as the writeoff of goodwill associated with the sale of the net assets of SAGE Labs in April 2013.

Debt

Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Debt
	Notes payable and long-term debt consist of the following:
		September 30, 2013				December 31, 2012
		Outstanding		Weighted		Outstanding		Weighted
				Average				Average
				Rate				Rate
	Notes payable
	Commercial paper (1)	$	114	0.1	%	$	381	0.2	%
	$200 European revolving credit facility,	—		—		—		—
	due March 13, 2014 (2)
	Sigma-Aldrich Korea Limited credit facility,	—		—		—		—
	due June 30, 2014 (3)
	Sigma-Aldrich Japan GK credit facilities (4)	—		—		—		—
	Other short-term credit facilities (5)	—		—		2		1.5	%
	Total notes payable	$	114	0.1	%	$	383	0.2	%
	Long-term debt
	Senior notes, due November 1, 2020 (6)	$	300	3.4	%	$	300	3.4	%
	Total long-term debt	$	300	3.4	%	$	300	3.4	%
	-1	The Company has a $600 five-year revolving credit facility that will mature on May 9, 2017 with a syndicate of banks in the U.S. supporting the Company's commercial paper program. At September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company did not have any borrowings outstanding under the facility. However, the amount available under the facility is reduced by the amount of commercial paper outstanding. The facility contains financial covenants that require the maintenance of a ratio of consolidated debt to total capitalization of no more than 65.0 percent and an aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt of no more than 25.0 percent of total net worth. The Company’s total consolidated debt as a percentage of total capitalization and aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt as a percentage of total net worth, as defined in the underlying credit agreement, was 13.7 percent and 0.0 percent, respectively, at September 30, 2013.
	-2	This facility contains financial covenants that require the maintenance of consolidated net worth of at least $750, a ratio of consolidated debt to total capitalization of no more than 55.0 percent and an aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt of no more than 25.0 percent of total net worth. The Company’s consolidated net worth, consolidated debt as a percentage of total capitalization and aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt as a percentage of total net worth, as defined in the underlying credit agreement, were $2,618, 13.7 percent and 0.0 percent, respectively, at September 30, 2013.
	-3	There were no outstanding borrowings under this facility, which had a total commitment of 20 billion Korean Won ($19), at September 30, 2013.
	-4	Sigma-Aldrich Japan GK has two credit facilities having a total commitment of 2 billion Japanese Yen ($20), with one facility due April 30, 2014 and the other representing a line of credit with no expiration. There were no borrowings under the facilities at September 30, 2013.
	-5	There were no borrowings under these facilities, which have total commitments in U.S. Dollar equivalents of $3, at September 30, 2013.
	-6	The Company has $300 of 3.375 percent Senior Notes due November 1, 2020. Interest on the notes is payable May 1 and November 1 of each year. The notes may be redeemed, in whole or in part at the Company’s option, (i) at any time at specific redemption prices plus accrued interest or (ii) three months prior to the maturity date at a redemption price equal to 100 percent of the principal amount plus accrued interest.
	The Company has provided guarantees to certain subsidiaries for any outstanding borrowings from the European revolving credit facility and the short-term credit facilities of the wholly-owned Korean and Japanese subsidiaries. At September 30, 2013, there were no existing events of default that would require the Company to honor these guarantees.
	Total interest expense incurred on short-term and long-term debt, net of amounts capitalized, was $2 for both the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. Total interest expense incurred on short-term and long-term debt, net of amounts capitalized, was $7 and $6 for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively.
	The fair value of long-term debt was approximately $290 and $315 at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively. The fair value of long-term debt was based upon a discounted cash flow analysis that used the aggregate cash flows from principal and interest payments over the life of the debt and current market interest rates.

Financial_Derivatives_and_Risk

Financial Derivatives and Risk Management	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Financial Derivatives and Risk Management	Financial Derivatives and Risk Management
	The Company transacts business in many parts of the world and is subject to risks associated with changing foreign currency exchange rates. Accordingly, the Company uses both derivative instruments designated as cash flow hedges as well as derivative instruments that are not designated as hedging instruments to mitigate this risk. These derivative instruments are comprised of foreign currency forward exchange contracts and classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy for which fair value is determined by using foreign currency market spot rates and forward points observable at commonly quoted intervals. The Company does not enter into foreign currency contracts for speculative trading purposes.
	Cash Flow Hedges
	A significant portion of the Company's cost of products and services sold is denominated in the U.S. Dollar, while over 60 percent of the Company's net sales are denominated in other currencies. Intercompany inventory purchases, which are sourced primarily from subsidiaries with U.S. Dollar functional currencies, are sold to customers by international subsidiaries in other local currencies. In the third quarter of 2012, the Company implemented a program to use foreign currency forward exchange contracts to mitigate the foreign currency risk associated with these forecasted intercompany inventory purchases.
	These derivatives have been designated as cash flow hedges, which qualify for hedge accounting treatment, whereby changes in fair value of the derivative are deferred in AOCI within stockholders' equity until the underlying hedged items are recognized in net income. Accordingly, the Company records cash flow hedge gains or losses within cost of products and services sold when the related inventory is sold to a customer. To the extent any portion of the hedge contract is determined to be ineffective, the increase or decrease in value of the contract prior to maturity will be recognized in income immediately. The cash flow impact from these derivatives is classified in the operating activities section of the Company's consolidated statements of cash flows, which is the same category as the underlying items being hedged. Gains or losses related to the ineffective portion of these hedging instruments were not material for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013. At September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had a notional principal amount of $305 and $234, respectively, in foreign currency forward exchange contracts outstanding.
	The following table summarizes the fair values of the foreign currency forward exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012:
	Item	Reporting Location	September 30, 2013	December 31, 2012
	Forward exchange contracts asset derivative	Other current assets	$4	$6
	Forward exchange contracts liability derivative	Other current liabilities	5	3
	Gain recognized in AOCI, net	AOCI	2	3
	The following tables summarize the effect of the foreign currency forward exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges on the Company's consolidated statements of comprehensive income during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and September 30, 2012, net of immaterial tax effects.
	Item	Reporting Location	Three Months Ended		Three Months Ended
			30-Sep-13		30-Sep-12
	Loss recognized in OCI, net	OCI	($11)		—
	Gain reclassified from AOCI into net income	Costs of products and services sold	3		—
	Item	Reporting Location	Nine Months Ended		Nine Months Ended
			30-Sep-13		30-Sep-12
	Loss recognized in OCI, net	OCI	($1)		—
	Gain reclassified from AOCI into net income	Costs of products and services sold	5		—
	As of September 30, 2013, the majority of these contracts are in established currencies including the Euro, Japanese Yen and British Pound. During the next 12 months, we expect that approximately $2 of unrealized gains included in AOCI, based on their valuation as of September 30, 2013, will be reclassified into income. The Company generally does not hedge its exposure to the exchange rate variability of future cash flows beyond the next ensuing twenty-four months.
	Derivatives Not Designated As Hedging Instruments
	The Company also uses foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are not designated as hedging instruments, to hedge the value of certain intercompany receivables and payables denominated in foreign currencies. The Company's objective is to minimize the impact of foreign currency exchange rate changes during the period of time between the original transaction date and its cash settlement. Gains and losses on these contracts are recorded in SG&A, based on the difference in the contract rate and the spot rate at the end of each month for all contracts still in force, and are typically offset either partially or completely by transaction gains and losses. The duration of the contracts typically does not exceed six months. As of September 30, 2013, the majority of these contracts are in established currencies including the Euro, British Pound and Japanese Yen. The impact of these contracts was not material to the consolidated financial statements as of and for the periods ended September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012. The notional amount of open foreign currency forward exchange contracts at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 was $171 and $116, respectively.

Company_Operations_By_Business

Company Operations By Business Unit	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Company Operations By Business Unit	Company Operations by Business Unit
	Effective January 1, 2013, the Company's business unit structure was realigned into three market-focused business units that are defined by the customers and markets they serve: Research, Applied and SAFC Commercial. The business unit structure is the Company's approach to serving customers and reporting sales rather than any internal division used to allocate resources. Sales for the Company's business units are as follows:
		Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013		2012		2013		2012
	Research	$	341	$	335	$	1,055	$	1,055
	Applied	154		148		473		452
	SAFC Commercial	169		156		492		461
	Total	$	664	$	639	$	2,020	$	1,968
	During 2012, the Company operated with the business units of Research and SAFC.
	The Company's Chief Operating Decision Maker is the CEO. The CEO and the Board review profit and loss information on a consolidated basis to assess performance and make overall operating decisions. The Company's business units are closely interrelated in their activities and share services such as order entry, billing, technical services, the e-commerce infrastructure, purchasing and inventory control. The business units also share production and distribution facilities. Additionally, these business units are supported by centralized functional areas such as finance, human resources, quality, safety and compliance and information technology. Further, the Company's CEO, CFO and business unit Presidents participate in compensation programs in which all or a significant portion of their incentive compensation is based upon consolidated Company results for sales growth (and for the business unit Presidents, the sales growth in the business unit for which they are responsible), consolidated Company operating income, consolidated Company free cash flow and business unit/individual objectives funded by the achievement of consolidated Company EPS goals. Based on these factors, the Company has concluded that it operates in one segment.
	Sales are attributed to countries based upon the location from which the product was shipped or services were performed. Geographic financial information is as follows:
		Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine months ended September 30,
		2013		2012		2013		2012
	Sales to unaffiliated customers:
	United States	$	259	$	248	$	775	$	746
	Other countries	405		391		1,245		1,222
	Total	$	664	$	639	$	2,020	$	1,968
		September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	Long-lived assets:
	United States	$	527	$	549
	Other countries	350		351
	Total	$	877	$	900

Pension_And_PostRetirement_Ben

Pension And Post-Retirement Benefits	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]
Pension And Post-Retirement Benefits	Pension and Post-retirement Benefits
	The components of net periodic benefit cost for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
		Pension Plans												Post-Retirement
		United States						International						Medical  Benefit Plans
		2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012
	Service cost	$	—		$	3		$	2		$	2		$	—		$	—
	Interest cost	2			1			2			2			—			1
	Expected return on plan assets	(3		)	(3		)	(2		)	(2		)	—			—
	Amortization	—			2			1			1			—			—
	Net periodic benefit cost	$	(1	)	$	3		$	3		$	3		$	—		$	1
	The components of net periodic benefit cost for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
		Pension Plans												Post-Retirement
		United States						International						Medical  Benefit Plans
		2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012
	Service cost	$	—		$	7		$	7		$	6		$	1		$	1
	Interest cost	5			5			7			7			1			2
	Expected return on plan assets	(9		)	(8		)	(8		)	(7		)	—			—
	Amortization	1			4			3			3			(1		)	(1		)
	Net periodic benefit cost	$	(3	)	$	8		$	9		$	9		$	1		$	2
	Pension and post-retirement benefits liabilities consisted of the following as of the dates noted:
		September 30,			December 31, 2012
		2013
	Retiree medical liability	$	49		$	47
	Pension liability	87			91
	Subtotal	136			138
	Less: current portion (included in other current liabilities)	(3		)	(3		)
	Pension and post-retirement benefits liabilities	$	133		$	135
	Effective December 31, 2012, the pension plan has been frozen and future retirement service benefits are no longer accrued under this program. Effective January 1, 2013, the affected employees became eligible for additional contributions under the Company's 401(k) retirement savings plan. As a result of the freeze, participants under the plan are no longer accruing service based benefits and are being treated as inactive for accounting purposes. The Company will amortize accumulated unrecognized losses over the remaining estimated life of participants of approximately 38 years as of September 30, 2013.
	The Company does not anticipate that it will be required to make a cash contribution to its U.S. pension plan in 2013. The Company contributed $5 to its international pension plans in the nine months ended September 30, 2013. In total, the Company expects to contribute approximately $8 to its defined benefit pension plans in 2013.
	The Company's 401(k) retirement savings plan provides retirement benefits to eligible U.S. employees in addition to those provided by the pension plan. The plan permits participants to voluntarily defer a portion of their compensation, subject to
	Internal Revenue Code limitations. The Company also contributes a fixed amount of the employee's salary deferral. The cost for this plan was $5 and $3, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 and $17 and $8, for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012.

Other_Assets_And_Liabilities

Other Assets And Liabilities	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Other Assets And Liabilities [Abstract]
Other Assets And Liabilities	Other Assets and Liabilities
	Other current assets
	Other current assets are summarized as follows:
		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013
	Other receivables	$	32	$	36
	Prepaid expenses	21		29
	Certificates of deposit	27		27
	Other current assets	2		3
	Total other current assets	$	82	$	95
	Other assets
	Other assets are summarized as follows:
		September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	Other investments	$	12	$	16
	Cash value of life insurance policies	34		29
	Deferred taxes	15		17
	Long term certificates of deposit	32		—
	Other non-current assets	27		27
	Total other assets	$	120	$	89
	Other current liabilities
	Other current liabilities are summarized as follows:
		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013
	Legal and professional	$	5	$	6
	Pension and post-retirement	3		3
	Freight	9		7
	Other accrued expenses	70		61
	Total other current liabilities	$	87	$	77
	Other liabilities
	Other liabilities are summarized as follows:
		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013
	Deferred compensation	$	30	$	31
	Non-current income taxes	35		33
	Other non-current liabilities	12		10
	Total other non-current liabilities	$	77	$	74

Restructuring_and_Other_Charge

Restructuring and Other Charges	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Restructuring and Other Charges [Abstract]
Restructuring and Other Charges	Restructuring and Other Charges
	Restructuring and other charges are summarized as follows:
		Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013		2012		2013		2012
	Restructuring costs	$	10	$	4	$	10	$	8
	Licensing dispute settlement	—		—		7		—
	Costs related to mergers and acquisitions	—		—		5		5
	Total restructuring and other charges	$	10	$	4	$	22	$	13
	In the third quarter of 2013, the Company committed to a restructuring plan to exit a manufacturing site in Europe. This exit activity impacts approximately 90 employees and is intended to further reduce the Company's fixed cost structure. Total restructuring costs are expected to be $12, comprised of $9 to reduce the value of the assets impacted by these restructuring activities and $3 of employee termination costs. Once fully implemented, the Company expects annual pre-tax savings associated with these activities in a range from $3 to $4. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, $10 of these restructuring costs were recorded.
	In the second quarter of 2012, the Company committed to a restructuring plan to exit various sales office locations in Europe. These exit activities impacted approximately 30 employees and were intended to further reduce the Company's fixed cost structure by streamlining the sales force in Europe. The total cost of this restructuring action was approximately $4 and was recorded in the second quarter of 2012.
	Other costs of $7 were incurred during the second quarter of 2013 for the settlement of a licensing dispute associated with certain products.
	Third party costs of $5 associated with merger and acquisition activity were incurred during the second quarter of 2013. Third party costs of $5 were incurred during the first quarter of 2012 related to the January 2012 acquisition of BioReliance and the March 2012 acquisition of Research Organics.

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	Earnings per Share
	Basic EPS is calculated using the weighted average number of shares outstanding during each period. The diluted EPS calculation includes the impact of dilutive equity compensation awards.
	EPS calculations have been made using the following share information (in millions):
		Three Months Ended September 30,		Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013	2012	2013	2012
	Weighted average shares
	Basic shares	120	121	120	121
	Effect of dilutive securities	1	1	1	1
	Diluted shares	121	122	121	122
	Potential common shares totaling 1 million were excluded from the calculation of diluted weighted average shares for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013, and for the nine months ended September 30, 2012, because their effects were antidilutive. There were no common shares excluded from the calculation of weighted average shares for the three months ended September 30, 2012.

Share_Repurchases

Share Repurchases	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Disclosure of Repurchase Agreements [Abstract]
Share Repurchases	Share Repurchases
	At September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had repurchased a total of 101 and 99 million shares, respectively, of an authorized repurchase of 110 million shares.

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Disclosure	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
	The following table shows the components of AOCI for the three months ended September 30, 2013
		Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Income (Loss), Net			Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Income (Loss), Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities, Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Cash Flow Hedges, Net			Total
	Beginning balance	$	69		$	(76	)	$	1		$	13		$	7
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	60			—			1			(8		)	53
	Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	—			(1		)	2			3			4
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	60			1			(1		)	(11		)	49
	Ending balance	$	129		$	(75	)	$	—		$	2		$	56
	The following table shows the components of AOCI for the nine months ended September 30, 2013.
		Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Income (Loss), Net			Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Income (Loss), Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities, Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Cash Flow Hedges, Net			Total
	Beginning balance	$	141		$	(78	)	$	3		$	3		$	69
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	(12		)	—			3			4			(5		)
	Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	—			(3		)	6			5			8
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	(12		)	3			(3		)	(1		)	(13		)
	Ending balance	$	129		$	(75	)	$	—		$	2		$	56
	The following table shows the components of AOCI for the three months ended September 30, 2012.
		Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Income (Loss), Net			Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Income (Loss), Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities, Net			Total
	Beginning balance	$	97		$	(85	)	$	2		$	14
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	31			—			1			32
	Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	—			(1		)	—			(1		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	31			1			1			33
	Ending balance	$	128		$	(84	)	$	3		$	47
	The following table shows the components of AOCI for the nine months ended September 30, 2012.
		Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Income (Loss), Net			Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Income (Loss), Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities, Net			Total
	Beginning balance	$	119		$	(88	)	$	(1	)	$	30
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	9			—			4			13
	Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	—			(4		)	—			(4		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	9			4			4			17
	Ending balance	$	128		$	(84	)	$	3		$	47
	During the three months ended September 30, 2013, amounts reclassified from AOCI include gains of $1 into SG&A and gains of $3 into cost of products and services sold. During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, amounts reclassified from AOCI include gains of $3 into SG&A and gains of $5 into cost of products and services sold. During the three months ended September 30, 2012, amounts reclassified from AOCI include losses of $1 into SG&A. During the nine months ended September 30, 2012, amounts reclassified from AOCI include losses of $4 into SG&A. These adjustments are net of immaterial tax effects.

Contingent_Liabilities_And_Com

Contingent Liabilities And Commitments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Contingent Liabilities And Commitments	Contingent Liabilities and Commitments
	The Company is involved in legal proceedings generally incidental to its business, as described below:
	The Company is a defendant in several lawsuits and claims related to the normal conduct of its business, including lawsuits and claims related to product liability and personal injury matters. The Company's operations and a number of its products are highly regulated by various governmental agencies around the world. Failure to meet the standards and licensing requirements of these agencies can lead to penalties which can include fines and/or operating restrictions. The Company accrues for potential liabilities when it is probable that future costs (including legal fees and expenses) will be incurred and such costs can be reasonably estimated. The Company has self-insured retention limits and has obtained insurance to provide coverage above the self-insured limits for claims made against it, including product liability and personal injury claims, subject to certain limitations and exclusions. Reserves have been provided to cover expected payments for these self-insured amounts at September 30, 2013.
	At September 30, 2013, there were no contingent liabilities that management believes are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on the Company's consolidated financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or liquidity and there were no material commitments outside of the normal course of business. Material commitments in the normal course of business include notes payable, long-term debt, lease commitments and pension and other post-retirement benefit obligations which are disclosed in Note 6 – Notes Payable, Note 7 – Long-Term Debt, Note 9 – Lease Commitments and Note 15 – Pension and Post-retirement Benefit Plans, respectively, to the Company's consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of the Annual Report, as updated in Note 7 – Debt and Note 10 – Pension and Post-retirement Benefits to the Company's consolidated financial statements included in Part I, Item 1 of this Report.

Inventories_Tables

Inventories (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Principal Categories Of Inventories	The principal categories of inventories are:
		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013
	Finished goods	$	579	$	585
	Work in process	34		36
	Raw materials	102		101
	Total	$	715	$	722

Intangible_Assets_Tables

Intangible Assets (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Intangible Assets and Goodwill	The Company’s amortizable and unamortizable intangible assets at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 are as follows:
		Cost					Accumulated Amortization
		September 30,			December 31, 2012		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013					2013
	Amortizable intangible assets:
	Patents	$	15		$	14	$	9	$	8
	Licenses	48			47		20		17
	Customer relationships	252			255		73		61
	Technical knowledge	48			48		18		15
	Other	29			29		23		22
	Total amortizable intangible assets	$	392		$	393	$	143	$	123
	Unamortizable intangible assets:
	Goodwill	$	713		$	717	$	26	$	26
	Trademarks and trade names	20			20		8		8
	Total unamortizable intangible assets	$	733		$	737	$	34	$	34
Change In Net Goodwill	The change in net goodwill for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 is as follows:
	Balance at December 31, 2012	$	691
	Acquisitions and Divestitures	(2		)
	Impact of foreign currency exchange rates	(2		)
	Balance at September 30, 2013	$	687

Debt_Tables

Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule Of Notes Payable And Long-Term Debt	Notes payable and long-term debt consist of the following:
		September 30, 2013				December 31, 2012
		Outstanding		Weighted		Outstanding		Weighted
				Average				Average
				Rate				Rate
	Notes payable
	Commercial paper (1)	$	114	0.1	%	$	381	0.2	%
	$200 European revolving credit facility,	—		—		—		—
	due March 13, 2014 (2)
	Sigma-Aldrich Korea Limited credit facility,	—		—		—		—
	due June 30, 2014 (3)
	Sigma-Aldrich Japan GK credit facilities (4)	—		—		—		—
	Other short-term credit facilities (5)	—		—		2		1.5	%
	Total notes payable	$	114	0.1	%	$	383	0.2	%
	Long-term debt
	Senior notes, due November 1, 2020 (6)	$	300	3.4	%	$	300	3.4	%
	Total long-term debt	$	300	3.4	%	$	300	3.4	%
	-1	The Company has a $600 five-year revolving credit facility that will mature on May 9, 2017 with a syndicate of banks in the U.S. supporting the Company's commercial paper program. At September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company did not have any borrowings outstanding under the facility. However, the amount available under the facility is reduced by the amount of commercial paper outstanding. The facility contains financial covenants that require the maintenance of a ratio of consolidated debt to total capitalization of no more than 65.0 percent and an aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt of no more than 25.0 percent of total net worth. The Company’s total consolidated debt as a percentage of total capitalization and aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt as a percentage of total net worth, as defined in the underlying credit agreement, was 13.7 percent and 0.0 percent, respectively, at September 30, 2013.
	-2	This facility contains financial covenants that require the maintenance of consolidated net worth of at least $750, a ratio of consolidated debt to total capitalization of no more than 55.0 percent and an aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt of no more than 25.0 percent of total net worth. The Company’s consolidated net worth, consolidated debt as a percentage of total capitalization and aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt as a percentage of total net worth, as defined in the underlying credit agreement, were $2,618, 13.7 percent and 0.0 percent, respectively, at September 30, 2013.
	-3	There were no outstanding borrowings under this facility, which had a total commitment of 20 billion Korean Won ($19), at September 30, 2013.
	-4	Sigma-Aldrich Japan GK has two credit facilities having a total commitment of 2 billion Japanese Yen ($20), with one facility due April 30, 2014 and the other representing a line of credit with no expiration. There were no borrowings under the facilities at September 30, 2013.
	-5	There were no borrowings under these facilities, which have total commitments in U.S. Dollar equivalents of $3, at September 30, 2013.
	-6	The Company has $300 of 3.375 percent Senior Notes due November 1, 2020. Interest on the notes is payable May 1 and November 1 of each year. The notes may be redeemed, in whole or in part at the Company’s option, (i) at any time at specific redemption prices plus accrued interest or (ii) three months prior to the maturity date at a redemption price equal to 100 percent of the principal amount plus accrued interest.

Financial_Derivatives_and_Risk1

Financial Derivatives and Risk Management (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Derivative Instruments in Statement of Financial Position, Fair Value	The following table summarizes the fair values of the foreign currency forward exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges at September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012:
	Item	Reporting Location	September 30, 2013	December 31, 2012
	Forward exchange contracts asset derivative	Other current assets	$4	$6
	Forward exchange contracts liability derivative	Other current liabilities	5	3
	Gain recognized in AOCI, net	AOCI	2	3
Schedule of Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) in Statement of Financial Performance	The following tables summarize the effect of the foreign currency forward exchange contracts designated as cash flow hedges on the Company's consolidated statements of comprehensive income during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013 and September 30, 2012, net of immaterial tax effects.
	Item	Reporting Location	Three Months Ended		Three Months Ended
			30-Sep-13		30-Sep-12
	Loss recognized in OCI, net	OCI	($11)		—
	Gain reclassified from AOCI into net income	Costs of products and services sold	3		—
	Item	Reporting Location	Nine Months Ended		Nine Months Ended
			30-Sep-13		30-Sep-12
	Loss recognized in OCI, net	OCI	($1)		—
	Gain reclassified from AOCI into net income	Costs of products and services sold	5		—

Company_Operations_By_Business1

Company Operations By Business Unit (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Net Sales For The Company's Business Units	Sales for the Company's business units are as follows:
		Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013		2012		2013		2012
	Research	$	341	$	335	$	1,055	$	1,055
	Applied	154		148		473		452
	SAFC Commercial	169		156		492		461
	Total	$	664	$	639	$	2,020	$	1,968
Geographic Financial Information - Net Sales To Unaffiliated Customers	Sales are attributed to countries based upon the location from which the product was shipped or services were performed. Geographic financial information is as follows:
		Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine months ended September 30,
		2013		2012		2013		2012
	Sales to unaffiliated customers:
	United States	$	259	$	248	$	775	$	746
	Other countries	405		391		1,245		1,222
	Total	$	664	$	639	$	2,020	$	1,968
Geographic Financial Information - Long-Lived Assets
		September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	Long-lived assets:
	United States	$	527	$	549
	Other countries	350		351
	Total	$	877	$	900

Pension_And_PostRetirement_Ben1

Pension And Post-Retirement Benefits (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]
Components Of The Net Periodic Benefit Costs	The components of net periodic benefit cost for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
		Pension Plans												Post-Retirement
		United States						International						Medical  Benefit Plans
		2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012
	Service cost	$	—		$	3		$	2		$	2		$	—		$	—
	Interest cost	2			1			2			2			—			1
	Expected return on plan assets	(3		)	(3		)	(2		)	(2		)	—			—
	Amortization	—			2			1			1			—			—
	Net periodic benefit cost	$	(1	)	$	3		$	3		$	3		$	—		$	1
	The components of net periodic benefit cost for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 are as follows:
		Pension Plans												Post-Retirement
		United States						International						Medical  Benefit Plans
		2013			2012			2013			2012			2013			2012
	Service cost	$	—		$	7		$	7		$	6		$	1		$	1
	Interest cost	5			5			7			7			1			2
	Expected return on plan assets	(9		)	(8		)	(8		)	(7		)	—			—
	Amortization	1			4			3			3			(1		)	(1		)
	Net periodic benefit cost	$	(3	)	$	8		$	9		$	9		$	1		$	2
Pension And Post-Retirement Benefits And Liabilities	Pension and post-retirement benefits liabilities consisted of the following as of the dates noted:
		September 30,			December 31, 2012
		2013
	Retiree medical liability	$	49		$	47
	Pension liability	87			91
	Subtotal	136			138
	Less: current portion (included in other current liabilities)	(3		)	(3		)
	Pension and post-retirement benefits liabilities	$	133		$	135

Other_Assets_And_Liabilities_T

Other Assets And Liabilities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Other Assets And Liabilities [Abstract]
Other Current Assets	Other current assets are summarized as follows:
		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013
	Other receivables	$	32	$	36
	Prepaid expenses	21		29
	Certificates of deposit	27		27
	Other current assets	2		3
	Total other current assets	$	82	$	95
Other Assets	Other assets are summarized as follows:
		September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	Other investments	$	12	$	16
	Cash value of life insurance policies	34		29
	Deferred taxes	15		17
	Long term certificates of deposit	32		—
	Other non-current assets	27		27
	Total other assets	$	120	$	89
Other Current Liabilities	Other current liabilities are summarized as follows:
		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013
	Legal and professional	$	5	$	6
	Pension and post-retirement	3		3
	Freight	9		7
	Other accrued expenses	70		61
	Total other current liabilities	$	87	$	77
Other Liabilities	Other liabilities are summarized as follows:
		September 30,		December 31, 2012
		2013
	Deferred compensation	$	30	$	31
	Non-current income taxes	35		33
	Other non-current liabilities	12		10
	Total other non-current liabilities	$	77	$	74

Restructuring_and_Other_Charge1

Restructuring and Other Charges Restructuring and Other Charges (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Restructuring and Other Charges [Abstract]
Schedule of Summary of Restructuring and Other Charges	Restructuring and other charges are summarized as follows:
		Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013		2012		2013		2012
	Restructuring costs	$	10	$	4	$	10	$	8
	Licensing dispute settlement	—		—		7		—
	Costs related to mergers and acquisitions	—		—		5		5
	Total restructuring and other charges	$	10	$	4	$	22	$	13

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Shares Used In Calculation Of Earnings Per Share	EPS calculations have been made using the following share information (in millions):
		Three Months Ended September 30,		Nine Months Ended September 30,
		2013	2012	2013	2012
	Weighted average shares
	Basic shares	120	121	120	121
	Effect of dilutive securities	1	1	1	1
	Diluted shares	121	122	121	122

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv1

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Disclosure (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]
Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income by Component	The following table shows the components of AOCI for the three months ended September 30, 2013
		Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Income (Loss), Net			Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Income (Loss), Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities, Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Cash Flow Hedges, Net			Total
	Beginning balance	$	69		$	(76	)	$	1		$	13		$	7
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	60			—			1			(8		)	53
	Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	—			(1		)	2			3			4
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	60			1			(1		)	(11		)	49
	Ending balance	$	129		$	(75	)	$	—		$	2		$	56
	The following table shows the components of AOCI for the nine months ended September 30, 2013.
		Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Income (Loss), Net			Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Income (Loss), Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities, Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Cash Flow Hedges, Net			Total
	Beginning balance	$	141		$	(78	)	$	3		$	3		$	69
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	(12		)	—			3			4			(5		)
	Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	—			(3		)	6			5			8
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	(12		)	3			(3		)	(1		)	(13		)
	Ending balance	$	129		$	(75	)	$	—		$	2		$	56
	The following table shows the components of AOCI for the three months ended September 30, 2012.
		Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Income (Loss), Net			Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Income (Loss), Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities, Net			Total
	Beginning balance	$	97		$	(85	)	$	2		$	14
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	31			—			1			32
	Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	—			(1		)	—			(1		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	31			1			1			33
	Ending balance	$	128		$	(84	)	$	3		$	47
	The following table shows the components of AOCI for the nine months ended September 30, 2012.
		Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment Income (Loss), Net			Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Income (Loss), Net			Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities, Net			Total
	Beginning balance	$	119		$	(88	)	$	(1	)	$	30
	Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	9			—			4			13
	Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	—			(4		)	—			(4		)
	Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	9			4			4			17
	Ending balance	$	128		$	(84	)	$	3		$	47

Inventories_Principal_Categori

Inventories (Principal Categories Of Inventories) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Inventory Disclosure [Abstract]
Finished goods	$579	$585
Work in process	34	36
Raw materials	102	101
Total	$715	$722

Intangible_Assets_Narrative_De

Intangible Assets (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization expense	$6	$8	$20	$24
Finite-lived intangible assets, future amortization expense, four year estimate, minimum			21
Finite-lived intangible assets, future amortization expense, four year estimate, maximum			$27
Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives			1 year
Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives			20 years

Intangible_Assets_Amortizable_

Intangible Assets (Amortizable And Unamortizable Intangible Assets) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Amortizable intangible assets:
Total amortizable intangible assets, Cost	$392	$393
Total amortizable intangible assets, Accumulated Amortization	143	123
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Including Goodwill) [Abstract]
Goodwill, Gross	713	717
Goodwill, Accumulated Amortization	26	26
Total unamortizable intangible assets, Cost	733	737
Total unamortizable intangible assets, Accumulated Amortization	34	34
Trademarks and Trade Names [Member]
Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets (Including Goodwill) [Abstract]
Trademarks and trade names, Cost	20	20
Trademark Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets, Accumulated Amortization	8	8
Patents [Member]
Amortizable intangible assets:
Total amortizable intangible assets, Cost	15	14
Total amortizable intangible assets, Accumulated Amortization	9	8
Licenses [Member]
Amortizable intangible assets:
Total amortizable intangible assets, Cost	48	47
Total amortizable intangible assets, Accumulated Amortization	20	17
Customer Relationships [Member]
Amortizable intangible assets:
Total amortizable intangible assets, Cost	252	255
Total amortizable intangible assets, Accumulated Amortization	73	61
Technical Knowledge [Member]
Amortizable intangible assets:
Total amortizable intangible assets, Cost	48	48
Total amortizable intangible assets, Accumulated Amortization	18	15
Other [Member]
Amortizable intangible assets:
Total amortizable intangible assets, Cost	29	29
Total amortizable intangible assets, Accumulated Amortization	$23	$22

Intangible_Assets_Change_In_Ne

Intangible Assets (Change In Net Goodwill) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Balance at December 31, 2012	$691
Acquisitions and Divestitures	-2
Impact of foreign currency exchange rates	-2
Balance at September 30, 2013	$687

Debt_Narrative_Details

Debt (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest expense, debt	$2	$2	$7	$6
Long-term debt, fair value	$290		$290		$315

Debt_Schedule_Of_Notes_Payable

Debt (Schedule Of Notes Payable And Long-Term Debt) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Notes payable
Weighted Average Rate	0.10%		0.20%
Long-term debt
Weighted Average Rate	3.40%		3.40%
Commercial Paper [Member]
Notes payable
Outstanding	114	[1]	381	[1]
Weighted Average Rate	0.10%	[1]	0.20%	[1]
$200.0 European Revolving Credit Facility, Due March 13, 2014 [Member]
Notes payable
Outstanding	0	[2]	0	[2]
Weighted Average Rate	0.00%	[2]	0.00%	[2]
Sigma-Aldrich Korea Limited Credit Facility, Due June 30, 2014 [Member]
Notes payable
Outstanding	0	[3]	0	[3]
Weighted Average Rate	0.00%	[3]	0.00%	[3]
Sigma-Aldrich Japan Credit Facility [Member]
Notes payable
Outstanding	0	[4]	0	[4]
Weighted Average Rate	0.00%	[4]	0.00%	[4]
Other Short-Term Credit Facilities [Member]
Notes payable
Outstanding	0	[5]	2	[5]
Weighted Average Rate	0.00%	[5]	1.50%	[5]
Senior Notes, Due November 1, 2020 [Member]
Long-term debt
Weighted Average Rate	3.40%	[6]	3.40%	[6]
Total Notes Payable [Member]
Notes payable
Outstanding	114		383
Long-Term Debt [Member] | Senior Notes, Due November 1, 2020 [Member]
Long-term debt
Outstanding	300	[6]	300	[6]
Total Long-Term Debt [Member]
Long-term debt
Outstanding	300		300
[1]	The Company has a $600 five-year revolving credit facility that will mature on May 9, 2017 with a syndicate of banks in the U.S. supporting the Company's commercial paper program. At SeptemberB 30, 2013 and DecemberB 31, 2012, the Company did not have any borrowings outstanding under the facility. However, the amount available under the facility is reduced by the amount of commercial paper outstanding. The facility contains financial covenants that require the maintenance of a ratio of consolidated debt to total capitalization of no more than 65.0 percent and an aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt of no more than 25.0 percent of total net worth. The Companybs total consolidated debt as a percentage of total capitalization and aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt as a percentage of total net worth, as defined in the underlying credit agreement, was 13.7 percent and 0.0 percent, respectively, at SeptemberB 30, 2013.
[2]	This facility contains financial covenants that require the maintenance of consolidated net worth of at least $750, a ratio of consolidated debt to total capitalization of no more than 55.0 percent and an aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt of no more than 25.0 percent of total net worth. The Companybs consolidated net worth, consolidated debt as a percentage of total capitalization and aggregate amount of subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt as a percentage of total net worth, as defined in the underlying credit agreement, were $2,618, 13.7 percent and 0.0 percent, respectively, at SeptemberB 30, 2013.
[3]	There were no outstanding borrowings under this facility, which had a total commitment of 20 billion Korean Won ($19), at SeptemberB 30, 2013.
[4]	Sigma-Aldrich Japan GK has two credit facilities having a total commitment of 2 billion Japanese Yen ($20), with one facility due April 30, 2014 and the other representing a line of credit with no expiration. There were no borrowings under the facilities at SeptemberB 30, 2013.
[5]	There were no borrowings under these facilities, which have total commitments in U.S.B Dollar equivalents of $3, at SeptemberB 30, 2013.
[6]	The Company has $300 of 3.375 percent Senior Notes due November 1, 2020. Interest on the notes is payable MayB 1 and NovemberB 1 of each year. The notes may be redeemed, in whole or in part at the Companybs option, (i) at any time at specific redemption prices plus accrued interest or (ii) three months prior to the maturity date at a redemption price equal to 100 percent of the principal amount plus accrued interest.

Debt_Schedule_Of_Notes_Payable1

Debt (Schedule Of Notes Payable And Long-Term Debt - Additional Information) (Details)	9 Months Ended							9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013
	Five-Year Revolving Credit Facility Maturing May 9, 2017 [Member]	$200.0 European Revolving Credit Facility, Due March 13, 2014 [Member]	Sigma-Aldrich Korea Limited Credit Facility, Due June 30, 2014 [Member]	Sigma-Aldrich Korea Limited Credit Facility, Due June 30, 2014 [Member]	Sigma-Aldrich Japan Credit Facility [Member]	Sigma-Aldrich Japan Credit Facility [Member]	Other Short-Term Credit Facilities [Member]	Senior Notes, Due November 1, 2020 [Member]
	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)	KRW	USD ($)	JPY (¥)	USD ($)	USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity	$600,000,000		$19,000,000	20,000,000,000	$20,000,000	¥ 2,000,000,000	$3,000,000	$300,000,000
Line of credit facility, term	5 years
Debt instrument, maturity date	9-May-17	13-Mar-14	30-Jun-14	30-Jun-14	30-Apr-14	30-Apr-14		1-Nov-20
Debt instrument covenant ratio of consolidated debt to total capitalization, maximum	65.00%	55.00%
Debt Instrument, covenant, ratio of consolidated debt to total net worth	25.00%
Consolidated debt as percentage of total capitalization	13.70%	13.70%
Debt Instrument, covenant ratio, consolidated debt plus subsidiary debt as a percentage of total net worth	0.00%
Debt instrument covenant consolidated net worth, minimum		750,000,000
Debt Instrument, covenant, ratio of consolidated debt plus subsidiary debt to net worth		25.00%
Consolidated net worth		2,618,000,000
Subsidiary debt plus consolidated secured debt, as a percent of total net worth		0.00%
Stated interest rate								3.38%
Duration debt can be redeemed at 100 percent plus accrued interest								3 months
Debt redemption price, percentage								100.00%
Debt instrument face amount		$200,000,000

Financial_Derivatives_and_Risk2

Financial Derivatives and Risk Management (Fair Value of Derivatives) - Balance Sheet (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Gain recognized in AOCI, net	$2	$13	$3
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Gain recognized in AOCI, net	2		3
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Other Current Assets [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Forward exchange contracts asset derivative	4		6
Foreign Exchange Forward [Member] | Cash Flow Hedging [Member] | Other Current Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Forward exchange contracts liability derivative	$5		$3

Financial_Derivatives_and_Risk3

Financial Derivatives and Risk Management (Schedule Of Gain Loss) - Income Statement (Details) (Foreign Exchange Forward [Member], Cash Flow Hedging [Member], USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Loss recognized in OCI, net	($11)	$0	($1)	$0
Cost of Sales [Member]
Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]
Gain reclassified from AOCI into net income	$3	$0	$5	$0

Financial_Derivatives_and_Risk4

Financial Derivatives and Risk Management (General Cash Flow Hedge Information) (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
			Minimum [Member]	Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]	Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Percent of net revenue denominated in Non-US currencies			60.00%
Notional amount of foreign currency cash flow hedging derivatives	$305	$234
Cash flow hedge gain (loss) to be reclassified within twelve months	2
Maximum length of time hedged in cash flow hedge	24 months
Maximum length of time hedged in foreign currency cash flow hedge				6 months
Notional amount of foreign currency derivatives				$171	$116

Company_Operations_By_Business2

Company Operations By Business Unit (Net Sales For The Company's Business Units) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
			segment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of operating segments			1
Sales	$664	$639	$2,020	$1,968
Research Business Unit [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	341	335	1,055	1,055
Applied Business Unit [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	154	148	473	452
SAFC Commercial Business Unit [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Sales	$169	$156	$492	$461

Company_Operations_By_Business3

Company Operations By Business Unit (Geographic Financial Information - Net Sales To Unaffiliated Customers) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$664	$639	$2,020	$1,968
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	259	248	775	746
Other Countries [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales to unaffiliated customers	$405	$391	$1,245	$1,222

Company_Operations_By_Business4

Company Operations By Business Unit (Geographic Financial Information - Long-Lived Assets) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$877	$900
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	527	549
Other Countries [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived assets	$350	$351

Pension_And_PostRetirement_Ben2

Pension And Post-Retirement Benefits (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Estimated life of plan participants			38 years
International [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer contributions to pension plans			$5
United States [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Cost of 401(k) retirement savings plan	5	3	17	8
Scenario, Forecast [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Employer contributions to pension plans			$8

Pension_And_PostRetirement_Ben3

Pension And Post-Retirement Benefits (Components Of The Net Periodic Benefit Costs) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
United States [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	$0	$3	$0	$7
Interest cost	2	1	5	5
Expected return on plan assets	-3	-3	-9	-8
Amortization	0	2	1	4
Net periodic benefit cost	-1	3	-3	8
International [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	2	2	7	6
Interest cost	2	2	7	7
Expected return on plan assets	-2	-2	-8	-7
Amortization	1	1	3	3
Net periodic benefit cost	3	3	9	9
Post-Retirement Medical Benefit Plans [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	0	0	1	1
Interest cost	0	1	1	2
Expected return on plan assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization	0	0	-1	-1
Net periodic benefit cost	$0	$1	$1	$2

Pension_And_PostRetirement_Ben4

Pension And Post-Retirement Benefits (Pension And Post-Retirement Benefits And Liabilities) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Defined Benefit Postretirement Plans Disclosure [Abstract]
Retiree medical liability	$49	$47
Pension liability	87	91
Subtotal	136	138
Less: current portion (included in other current liabilities)	-3	-3
Pension and post-retirement benefits liabilities	$133	$135

Other_Assets_And_Liabilities_O

Other Assets And Liabilities (Other Current Assets) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Other Assets And Liabilities [Abstract]
Other receivables	$32	$36
Prepaid expenses	21	29
Certificates of deposit	27	27
Other current assets	2	3
Total other current assets	$82	$95

Other_Assets_And_Liabilities_O1

Other Assets And Liabilities (Other Assets) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Other Assets And Liabilities [Abstract]
Other investments	$12	$16
Cash value of life insurance policies	34	29
Deferred taxes	15	17
Long term certificates of deposit	32	0
Other non-current assets	27	27
Total other assets	$120	$89

Other_Assets_And_Liabilities_O2

Other Assets And Liabilities (Other Current Liabilities) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Other Assets And Liabilities [Abstract]
Legal and professional	$5	$6
Pension and post-retirement	3	3
Freight	9	7
Other accrued expenses	70	61
Total other current liabilities	$87	$77

Other_Assets_And_Liabilities_O3

Other Assets And Liabilities (Other Liabilities) (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
Other Assets And Liabilities [Abstract]
Deferred compensation	$30	$31
Non-current income taxes	35	33
Other non-current liabilities	12	10
Total other non-current liabilities	$77	$74

Restructuring_and_Other_Charge2

Restructuring and Other Charges (Summary of Restructuring and Other Charges) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Restructuring and Other Charges [Abstract]
Restructuring costs	$10		$4	$4	$10	$8
Licensing dispute settlement	0	7	0		7	0
Costs related to mergers and acquisitions	0	5	0		5	5
Total restructuring and other charges	$10		$4		$22	$13

Restructuring_and_Other_Charge3

Restructuring and Other Charges (Restructuring Activities) Narrative (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013
	employee			employee			BioReliance and Research Organics	Minimum [Member]	Maximum [Member]	Reduction of Value of Assets Impacted by Restructuring [Member]	Employee Severance [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of employees impacted by the restructuring	90			30
Total restructuring costs expected	$12									$9	$3
Expected annual savings from restructuring activity								3	4
Restructuring costs	10		4	4	10	8
Restructuring costs recorded during period					10
Licensing dispute settlement	0	7	0		7	0
Costs related to mergers and acquisitions	$0	$5	$0		$5	$5	$5

Earnings_Per_Share_Shares_Used

Earnings Per Share (Shares Used In Calculation Of Earnings Per Share) (Details)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Weighted average shares
Basic shares	120,000,000	121,000,000	120,000,000	121,000,000
Effect of dilutive securities	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000	1,000,000
Diluted shares	121,000,000	122,000,000	121,000,000	122,000,000
Number of potential common shares from the calculation of weighted average shares considered to be antidilutive	1,000,000	0	1,000,000	1,000,000

Share_Repurchases_Details

Share Repurchases (Details)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Disclosure of Repurchase Agreements [Abstract]
Shares repurchased	101,000,000	99,000,000
Authorized shares repurchase	110,000,000

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv2

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Disclosure (Changes in Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income by Component)(Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Foreign Currency Transaction and Translation Adjustment, Net of Tax [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$69	$97	$141	$119
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	60	31	-12	9
Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	0	0	0	0
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	60	31	-12	9
Ending balance	129	128	129	128
Pension and Post-Retirement Benefit Plans Income (Loss), Net
Beginning balance	-76	-85	-78	-88
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	0	0	0	0
Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	-1	-1	-3	-4
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	1	1	3	4
Ending balance	-75	-84	-75	-84
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Securities, Net
Beginning balance	1	2	3	-1
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	1	1	3	4
Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	2	0	6	0
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	-1	1	-3	4
Ending balance	0	3	0	3
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Cash Flow Hedges, Net
Beginning balance	13		3
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	-8		4
Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	3		5
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	-11		-1
Ending balance	2		2
Total
Beginning balance	7	14	69	30
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassification	53	32	-5	13
Less: Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income to net income	4	-1	8	-4
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	49	33	-13	17
Ending balance	$56	$47	$56	$47

Accumulated_Other_Comprehensiv3

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Disclosure (Reclassifications from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Amount Recorded as SG&A [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on Derivatives [Line Items]
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	$1	$1	$3	$4
Amount Recorded as Cost of Products and Services Sold [Member]
Reclassification Adjustment out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income on Derivatives [Line Items]
Amount reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income	$3		$5