Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Operations (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Net sales	$ 1,177	$ 1,322	$ 3,672	$ 4,054
Cost of sales	1,037	1,137	3,182	3,445
Gross profit	140	185	490	609
Selling, general and administrative expense	74	82	238	253
Asset impairments	0	0	23	18
Business realignment costs	11	1	29	9
Other operating expense (income), net	4	1	13	(20)
Operating income	51	101	187	349
Interest expense, net	66	67	198	196
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(2)	5	(1)	3
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	(13)	29	(10)	150
Income tax (benefit) expense	(373)	(5)	(371)	(2)
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	360	34	361	152
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	4	5	15	11
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent	364	39	376	163
Net income from discontinued operations, net of taxes	0	0	0	2
Net income	364	39	376	165
Comprehensive income (loss)	383	(38)	381	139
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net sales	523	567	1,637	1,747
Cost of sales	447	470	1,385	1,425
Gross profit	76	97	252	322
Selling, general and administrative expense	2	30	49	94
Asset impairments		0	0	0
Business realignment costs	3	0	7	2
Other operating expense (income), net	0	(3)	1	(24)
Operating income	71	70	195	250
Interest expense, net	14	17	44	52
Intercompany interest expense (income)	33	29	98	93
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(6)	35	5	(1)
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	30	(11)	48	106
Income tax (benefit) expense	(368)	5	(366)	(14)
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	398	(16)	414	120
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	(34)	55	(38)	63
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent				183
Net income from discontinued operations, net of taxes				(18)
Net income	364	39	376	165
Comprehensive income (loss)	383	(38)	381	139
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 expense (income), net	2	0	(2)	0
Operating income	(2)	0	(2)	0
Interest expense, net	45	38	130	113
Intercompany interest expense (income)	(47)	(41)	(138)	(131)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(2)	0	2	0
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	2	3	8	18
Income tax (benefit) expense	1	(1)	1	1
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	1	4	7	17
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	0	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent				17
Net income from discontinued operations, net of taxes				0
Net income	1	4	7	17
Comprehensive income (loss)	6	(2)	10	17
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 expense (income), net	(1)	0	1	0
Operating income	1	0	1	0
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	0	1	0	0
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	1	(1)	1	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	1	(1)	1	0
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	(26)	29	(23)	44
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent				44
Net income from discontinued operations, net of taxes				0
Net income	(25)	28	(22)	44
Comprehensive income (loss)	(26)	28	(22)	43
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net sales	721	828	2,251	2,553
Cost of sales	657	740	2,013	2,266
Gross profit	64	88	238	287
Selling, general and administrative expense	72	52	189	159
Asset impairments		0	23	18
Business realignment costs	8	1	22	7
Other operating expense (income), net	3	4	11	4
Operating income	(19)	31	(7)	99
Interest expense, net	7	12	24	31
Intercompany interest expense (income)	14	12	40	38
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	6	(31)	(4)	4
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	(46)	38	(67)	26
Income tax (benefit) expense	(6)	(9)	(6)	11
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	(40)	47	(61)	15
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	1	0	3	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent				15
Net income from discontinued operations, net of taxes				20
Net income	(39)	47	(58)	35
Comprehensive income (loss)	(36)	23	(59)	26
Eliminations [Member]
Net sales	(67)	(73)	(216)	(246)
Cost of sales	(67)	(73)	(216)	(246)
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 expense (income), 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 (income) expense, net	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	63	(79)	73	(96)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent				(96)
Net income from discontinued operations, net of taxes				0
Net income	63	(79)	73	(96)
Comprehensive income (loss)	56	(49)	71	(86)
Consolidated [Member]
Net sales	1,177	1,322	3,672	4,054
Cost of sales	1,037	1,137	3,182	3,445
Gross profit	140	185	490	609
Selling, general and administrative expense	74	82	238	253
Asset impairments		0	23	18
Business realignment costs	11	1	29	9
Other operating expense (income), net	4	1	13	(20)
Operating income	51	101	187	349
Interest expense, net	66	67	198	196
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(2)	5	(1)	3
(Loss) income from continuing operations before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	(13)	29	(10)	150
Income tax (benefit) expense	(373)	(5)	(371)	(2)
Income from continuing operations before earnings from unconsolidated entities	360	34	361	152
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	4	5	15	11
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent				163
Net income from discontinued operations, net of taxes				2
Net income	364	39	376	165
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 383	$ (38)	$ 381	$ 139