Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Operations (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Net sales	$ 1,259	$ 1,438	$ 2,495	$ 2,732
Cost of sales	1,087	1,223	2,145	2,308
Gross profit	172	215	350	424
Selling, general and administrative expense	79	87	164	171
Asset impairments	0	18	23	18
Business realignment costs	3	5	18	8
Other operating (income) expense, net	(2)	(23)	9	(21)
Operating income	92	128	136	248
Interest expense, net	67	65	132	129
Other non-operating expense (income), net	(1)	0	1	(2)
Income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	26	63	3	121
Income tax expense (benefit)	4	0	2	3
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	22	63	1	118
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	6	3	11	6
Net income from continuing operations	28	66	12	124
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes	0	(3)	0	2
Net income	28	63	12	126
Comprehensive (loss) income	(15)	84	(2)	177
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net sales	576	617	1,114	1,180
Cost of sales	484	488	938	955
Gross profit	92	129	176	225
Selling, general and administrative expense	17	34	47	64
Asset impairments		0	0	0
Business realignment costs	2	0	4	2
Other operating (income) expense, net	(4)	(4)	1	(21)
Operating income	77	99	124	180
Interest expense, net	14	17	30	35
Intercompany interest expense (income)	35	35	65	64
Other non-operating expense (income), net	22	(9)	11	(36)
Income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	6	56	18	117
Income tax expense (benefit)	3	(11)	2	(19)
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	3	67	16	136
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	25	(3)	(4)	8
Net income from continuing operations		64		144
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes		(1)		(18)
Net income	28	63	12	126
Comprehensive (loss) income	(15)	84	(2)	177
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expense	0	0	0	0
Asset impairments		0	0	0
Business realignment costs	0	0	0	0
Other operating (income) expense, net	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net	46	38	85	75
Intercompany interest expense (income)	(49)	(48)	(91)	(90)
Other non-operating expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	3	10	6	15
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	1	0	2
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	3	9	6	13
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Net income from continuing operations		9		13
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes		0		0
Net income	3	9	6	13
Comprehensive (loss) income	0	10	4	18
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expense	0	0	0	0
Asset impairments		0	0	0
Business realignment costs	0	0	0	0
Other operating (income) expense, net	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Other non-operating expense (income), net	1	0	0	(1)
Income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	(1)	0	0	1
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	(1)	0	0	1
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	5	(3)	3	15
Net income from continuing operations		(3)		16
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes		0		0
Net income	4	(3)	3	16
Comprehensive (loss) income	5	(3)	4	16
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net sales	761	912	1,530	1,725
Cost of sales	681	826	1,356	1,526
Gross profit	80	86	174	199
Selling, general and administrative expense	62	53	117	107
Asset impairments		18	23	18
Business realignment costs	1	5	14	6
Other operating (income) expense, net	2	(19)	8	0
Operating income	15	29	12	68
Interest expense, net	7	10	17	19
Intercompany interest expense (income)	14	13	26	26
Other non-operating expense (income), net	(24)	9	(10)	35
Income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	18	(3)	(21)	(12)
Income tax expense (benefit)	1	10	0	20
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	17	(13)	(21)	(32)
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	2	0	2	0
Net income from continuing operations		(13)		(32)
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes		(2)		20
Net income	19	(15)	(19)	(12)
Comprehensive (loss) income	(2)	2	(23)	3
Eliminations [Member]
Net sales	(78)	(91)	(149)	(173)
Cost of sales	(78)	(91)	(149)	(173)
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expense	0	0	0	0
Asset impairments		0	0	0
Business realignment costs	0	0	0	0
Other operating (income) expense, net	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Other non-operating expense (income), net	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	(26)	9	10	(17)
Net income from continuing operations		9		(17)
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes		0		0
Net income	(26)	9	10	(17)
Comprehensive (loss) income	(3)	(9)	15	(37)
Consolidated [Member]
Net sales	1,259	1,438	2,495	2,732
Cost of sales	1,087	1,223	2,145	2,308
Gross profit	172	215	350	424
Selling, general and administrative expense	79	87	164	171
Asset impairments		18	23	18
Business realignment costs	3	5	18	8
Other operating (income) expense, net	(2)	(23)	9	(21)
Operating income	92	128	136	248
Interest expense, net	67	65	132	129
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Other non-operating expense (income), net	(1)	0	1	(2)
Income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	26	63	3	121
Income tax expense (benefit)	4	0	2	3
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	22	63	1	118
Earnings (losses) from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	6	3	11	6
Net income from continuing operations		66		124
Net (loss) income from discontinued operations, net of taxes		(3)		2
Net income	28	63	12	126
Comprehensive (loss) income	$ (15)	$ 84	$ (2)	$ 177