Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Balance Sheets (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $3)	$ 340	$ 431
Short-term investments	5	7
Accounts receivable, net	637	592
Finished and in-process goods	294	254
Raw materials and supplies	118	103
Other current assets	97	72
Total current assets	1,491	1,459
Deferred income taxes	362	4
Other assets, net	171	165
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,157	1,209
Goodwill	167	167
Other intangible assets, net	93	104
Total assets	3,441	3,108
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	421	393
Debt payable within one year	73	117
Affiliated debt payable within one year	2	2
Interest payable	60	61
Income taxes payable	5	15
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	42	57
Other current liabilities	145	132
Total current liabilities	748	777
Long-term debt	3,426	3,420
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	205	223
Deferred income taxes	65	72
Other long-term liabilities	162	156
Advance from affiliates	0	225
Total liabilities	4,606	4,873
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(1,166)	(1,766)
Noncontrolling interest	1	1
Total deficit	(1,165)	(1,765)
Total liabilities and deficit	3,441	3,108
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $3)	230	221
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	176	206
Intercompany accounts receivable	174	102
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	327	203
Finished and in-process goods	117	116
Raw materials and supplies	43	33
Other current assets	49	27
Total current assets	1,116	908
Deferred income taxes	355	0
Other assets, net	224	299
Intercompany loans receivable	669	649
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	492	504
Goodwill	93	93
Other intangible assets, net	54	59
Total assets	3,003	2,512
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	145	134
Intercompany accounts payable	174	78
Debt payable within one year	11	17
Intercompany loans payable within one year	195	238
Affiliated debt payable within one year	2	2
Interest payable	8	14
Income taxes payable	1	1
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	6	26
Other current liabilities	74	69
Total current liabilities	616	579
Long-term debt	864	1,134
Intercompany loans payable	2,297	1,903
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	159	192
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	82	99
Deferred income taxes	38	30
Other long-term liabilities	113	116
Advance from affiliates		225
Total liabilities	4,169	4,278
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(1,166)	(1,766)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(1,166)	(1,766)
Total liabilities and deficit	3,003	2,512
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $3)	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	56	46
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	56	46
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	44	36
Intercompany loans receivable	2,272	1,907
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	2,372	1,989
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	4	4
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Affiliated debt payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	51	44
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	55	48
Long-term debt	2,138	1,688
Intercompany loans payable	5	4
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	2	2
Other long-term liabilities	7	6
Advance from affiliates		0
Total liabilities	2,207	1,748
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	165	241
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	165	241
Total liabilities and deficit	2,372	1,989
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $3)	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	2	40
Intercompany loans receivable	26	22
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	28	62
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	1	1
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Affiliated debt payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	1	1
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	6	6
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Advance from affiliates		0
Total liabilities	7	7
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	21	55
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	21	55
Total liabilities and deficit	28	62
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $3)	110	210
Short-term investments	5	7
Accounts receivable, net	461	386
Intercompany accounts receivable	378	257
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	613	713
Finished and in-process goods	177	138
Raw materials and supplies	75	70
Other current assets	48	45
Total current assets	1,867	1,826
Deferred income taxes	7	4
Other assets, net	86	85
Intercompany loans receivable	3,175	4,592
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	665	705
Goodwill	74	74
Other intangible assets, net	39	45
Total assets	5,913	7,331
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	276	259
Intercompany accounts payable	429	322
Debt payable within one year	62	100
Intercompany loans payable within one year	745	678
Affiliated debt payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	1	3
Income taxes payable	4	14
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	36	31
Other current liabilities	71	63
Total current liabilities	1,624	1,470
Long-term debt	424	598
Intercompany loans payable	3,834	5,257
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	123	124
Deferred income taxes	25	40
Other long-term liabilities	42	34
Advance from affiliates		0
Total liabilities	6,072	7,523
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(160)	(193)
Noncontrolling interest	1	1
Total deficit	(159)	(192)
Total liabilities and deficit	5,913	7,331
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $3)	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	(608)	(405)
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	(940)	(916)
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(1,548)	(1,321)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	(185)	(295)
Intercompany loans receivable	(6,142)	(7,170)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(7,875)	(8,786)
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(608)	(405)
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	(940)	(916)
Affiliated debt payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,548)	(1,321)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(6,142)	(7,170)
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	(159)	(192)
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Advance from affiliates		0
Total liabilities	(7,849)	(8,683)
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(26)	(103)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(26)	(103)
Total liabilities and deficit	(7,875)	(8,786)
Consolidated [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $3)	340	431
Short-term investments	5	7
Accounts receivable, net	637	592
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	294	254
Raw materials and supplies	118	103
Other current assets	97	72
Total current assets	1,491	1,459
Deferred income taxes	362	4
Other assets, net	171	165
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,157	1,209
Goodwill	167	167
Other intangible assets, net	93	104
Total assets	3,441	3,108
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	421	393
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Debt payable within one year	73	117
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Affiliated debt payable within one year	2	2
Interest payable	60	61
Income taxes payable	5	15
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	42	57
Other current liabilities	145	132
Total current liabilities	748	777
Long-term debt	3,426	3,420
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	205	223
Deferred income taxes	65	72
Other long-term liabilities	162	156
Advance from affiliates		225
Total liabilities	4,606	4,873
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(1,166)	(1,766)
Noncontrolling interest	1	1
Total deficit	(1,165)	(1,765)
Total liabilities and deficit	$ 3,441	$ 3,108