Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ 27	$ (28)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(92)	(109)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	2	(3)
Change in restricted cash	0	3
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(1)	(5)
Proceeds from sale of assets	10	3
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred	0	173
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(81)	62
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	(7)	11
Borrowings of long-term debt	451	455
Repayments of long-term debt	(479)	(507)
Repayment of advance from affiliates	(7)	0
Capital contribution from parent	16	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(13)	(1)
Common stock dividends paid	(2)	(1)
Net cash used in financing activities	(41)	(43)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	4	(3)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(91)	(12)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	428	180
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	337	168
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	2	(96)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(39)	(63)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Change in restricted cash		0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	9	2
Capital contribution to subsidiary	(15)
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		173
Return of capital from subsidiary		47
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	65	52
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	20	211
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	0	(9)
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	164
Repayments of long-term debt	(276)	(177)
Repayment of advance from affiliates	(7)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	258	(77)
Capital contribution from parent	16
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(2)	(1)
Common stock dividends paid	(2)	(1)
Return of capital to parent		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(13)	(101)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	9	14
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	221	56
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	230	70
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(66)	1
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Change in restricted cash		0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		0
Return of capital from subsidiary		0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	0
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	450	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Repayment of advance from affiliates	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(364)	4
Capital contribution from parent	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(11)	0
Common stock dividends paid	(9)	(5)
Return of capital to parent		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	66	(1)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Decrease 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	16	10
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Change in restricted cash		0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	(1)
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	(10)
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		0
Return of capital from subsidiary		0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(10)	(1)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Repayment of advance from affiliates	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(3)	0
Capital contribution from parent	10
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	(13)	(9)
Return of capital to parent		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(6)	(9)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Decrease 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	97	73
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(53)	(46)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	2	(3)
Change in restricted cash		3
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(1)	(4)
Proceeds from sale of assets	1	1
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		0
Return of capital from subsidiary		0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(51)	(49)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	(7)	20
Borrowings of long-term debt	1	291
Repayments of long-term debt	(203)	(330)
Repayment of advance from affiliates	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	109	73
Capital contribution from parent	15
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	0	(2)
Return of capital to parent		(47)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	(65)	(52)
Net cash used in financing activities	(150)	(47)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	4	(3)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(100)	(26)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	207	124
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	107	98
Eliminations [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(22)	(16)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Change in restricted cash		0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	25
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		0
Return of capital from subsidiary		(47)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(65)	(52)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(40)	(99)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Repayment of advance from affiliates	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	(25)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	22	16
Return of capital to parent		47
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	65	52
Net cash used in financing activities	62	115
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Decrease 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	27	(28)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(92)	(109)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	2	(3)
Change in restricted cash		3
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(1)	(5)
Proceeds from sale of assets	10	3
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0
Proceeds from sale of business, net of cash transferred		173
Return of capital from subsidiary		0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(81)	62
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	(7)	11
Borrowings of long-term debt	451	455
Repayments of long-term debt	(479)	(507)
Repayment of advance from affiliates	(7)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	16
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(13)	(1)
Common stock dividends paid	(2)	(1)
Return of capital to parent		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(41)	(43)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	4	(3)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(91)	(12)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	428	180
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	$ 337	$ 168