Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2011
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	$ (11)	$ (43)
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities
Capital expenditures	(58)	(71)
Change in restricted cash	0	2
Proceeds from matured debt securities, net	2	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(3)	(1)
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred	0	173
Proceeds from sale of assets	9	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(50)	103
Cash flows used in financing activities
Net short-term debt repayments	(15)	(8)
Borrowings of long-term debt	451	409
Repayments of long-term debt	(473)	(451)
Capital contribution from parent	16	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(13)	(1)
Common stock dividends paid	(2)	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(36)	(51)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	2	3
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(95)	12
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	428	180
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	333	192
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	13	(46)
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities
Capital expenditures	(25)	(46)
Change in restricted cash		0
Proceeds from matured debt securities, net	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	5
Capital contribution to subsidiary	(15)
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		173
Proceeds from the Return of Capital from Subsidiary	42	33
Proceeds from sale of assets	9
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	11	165
Cash flows used in financing activities
Net short-term debt repayments	0	(8)
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	144
Repayments of long-term debt	(272)	(153)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	270	(93)
Capital contribution from parent	16	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(2)	(1)
Common stock dividends paid	(2)	0
Return of capital to parent	0
Net cash used in financing activities	10	(111)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	34	8
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	221	56
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	255	64
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	8	0
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Change in restricted cash		0
Proceeds from matured debt securities, net	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		0
Proceeds from the Return of Capital from Subsidiary	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	0
Cash flows used in financing activities
Net short-term debt repayments	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	450	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(439)	4
Capital contribution from parent	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(11)	0
Common stock dividends paid	(8)	(4)
Return of capital to parent	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(8)	0
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	0	0
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	12	6
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Change in restricted cash		0
Proceeds from matured debt securities, net	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	(1)
Capital contribution to subsidiary	(10)
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		0
Proceeds from the Return of Capital from Subsidiary	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(10)	(1)
Cash flows used in financing activities
Net short-term debt repayments	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(2)	0
Capital contribution from parent	10	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	(10)	(5)
Return of capital to parent	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(2)	(5)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	0	0
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(26)	53
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities
Capital expenditures	(33)	(25)
Change in restricted cash		2
Proceeds from matured debt securities, net	2
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(3)	(5)
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		0
Proceeds from the Return of Capital from Subsidiary	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(34)	(28)
Cash flows used in financing activities
Net short-term debt repayments	(15)	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	1	265
Repayments of long-term debt	(201)	(298)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	171	89
Capital contribution from parent	15	(33)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	0	(47)
Return of capital to parent	(42)
Net cash used in financing activities	(71)	(24)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	2	3
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(129)	4
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	207	124
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	78	128
Eliminations [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(18)	(56)
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Change in restricted cash		0
Proceeds from matured debt securities, net	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	25
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		0
Proceeds from the Return of Capital from Subsidiary	(42)	(33)
Proceeds from sale of assets	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(17)	(33)
Cash flows used in financing activities
Net short-term debt repayments	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	(25)	33
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	18	56
Return of capital to parent	42
Net cash used in financing activities	35	89
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	0	0
Consolidated [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(11)	(43)
Cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities
Capital expenditures	(58)	(71)
Change in restricted cash		2
Proceeds from matured debt securities, net	2
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(3)	(1)
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		173
Proceeds from the Return of Capital from Subsidiary	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	9
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(50)	103
Cash flows used in financing activities
Net short-term debt repayments	(15)	(8)
Borrowings of long-term debt	451	409
Repayments of long-term debt	(473)	(451)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	16	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(13)	(1)
Common stock dividends paid	(2)	0
Return of capital to parent	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(36)	(51)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	2	3
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(95)	12
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	428	180
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	$ 333	$ 192