Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Balance Sheets (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	$ 400	$ 419
Short-term investments	6	5
Accounts receivable, net	613	527
Finished and in-process goods	307	262
Raw materials and supplies	122	105
Other current assets	90	81
Total current assets	1,538	1,399
Investment in unconsolidated entities	54	42
Deferred income taxes	383	348
Other assets, net	135	109
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,144	1,167
Goodwill	167	169
Other intangible assets, net	89	91
Total assets	3,510	3,325
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	503	418
Debt payable within one year	61	76
Interest payable	90	63
Income taxes payable	7	4
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	48	40
Other current liabilities	124	129
Total current liabilities	833	730
Long-term debt	3,727	3,419
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	304	309
Deferred income taxes	19	18
Other long-term liabilities	169	166
Total liabilities	5,052	4,642
Total deficit	(1,542)	(1,317)
Total liabilities and deficit	3,510	3,325
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	262	276
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	195	177
Intercompany accounts receivable	104	126
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	239	162
Finished and in-process goods	120	109
Raw materials and supplies	42	35
Other current assets	36	38
Total current assets	998	923
Investment in unconsolidated entities	166	252
Deferred income taxes	375	337
Other assets, net	34	0
Intercompany loans receivable	1,144	773
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	491	493
Goodwill	93	93
Other intangible assets, net	51	53
Total assets	3,352	2,924
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	175	136
Intercompany accounts payable	102	96
Debt payable within one year	2	13
Intercompany loans payable within one year	199	197
Interest payable	5	12
Income taxes payable	7	3
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	17	14
Other current liabilities	67	64
Total current liabilities	574	535
Long-term debt	329	860
Intercompany loans payable	3,414	2,303
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	355	325
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	96	98
Deferred income taxes	4	0
Other long-term liabilities	122	120
Total liabilities	4,894	4,241
Total deficit	(1,542)	(1,317)
Total liabilities and deficit	3,352	2,924
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	67	52
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	67	52
Investment in unconsolidated entities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	63	42
Intercompany loans receivable	3,383	2,273
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	3,513	2,367
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
Interest payable	85	51
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	89	55
Long-term debt	3,327	2,138
Intercompany loans payable	0	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	1
Other long-term liabilities	6	6
Total liabilities	3,424	2,204
Total deficit	89	163
Total liabilities and deficit	3,513	2,367
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	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
Investment in unconsolidated entities	30	42
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	3	28
Intercompany loans receivable	28	27
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	61	97
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	0	1
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans 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	0	1
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	7	7
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	87	107
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	94	115
Total deficit	(33)	(18)
Total liabilities and deficit	61	97
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	138	143
Short-term investments	6	5
Accounts receivable, net	418	350
Intercompany accounts receivable	400	318
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	357	624
Finished and in-process goods	187	153
Raw materials and supplies	80	70
Other current assets	54	43
Total current assets	1,640	1,706
Investment in unconsolidated entities	34	18
Deferred income taxes	8	11
Other assets, net	35	39
Intercompany loans receivable	3,704	3,835
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	653	674
Goodwill	74	76
Other intangible assets, net	38	38
Total assets	6,186	6,397
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	328	282
Intercompany accounts payable	465	395
Debt payable within one year	59	63
Intercompany loans payable within one year	397	589
Interest payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	1
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	31	26
Other current liabilities	57	65
Total current liabilities	1,337	1,421
Long-term debt	71	421
Intercompany loans payable	4,838	4,594
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	208	211
Deferred income taxes	13	17
Other long-term liabilities	41	40
Total liabilities	6,508	6,704
Total deficit	(322)	(307)
Total liabilities and deficit	6,186	6,397
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	(571)	(496)
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	(596)	(786)
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(1,167)	(1,282)
Investment in unconsolidated entities	(176)	(270)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	(8,259)	(6,908)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(9,602)	(8,460)
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(571)	(496)
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	(596)	(786)
Interest payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(1,167)	(1,282)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(8,259)	(6,908)
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	(442)	(432)
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(9,868)	(8,622)
Total deficit	266	162
Total liabilities and deficit	(9,602)	(8,460)
Consolidated [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	400	419
Short-term investments	6	5
Accounts receivable, net	613	527
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	307	262
Raw materials and supplies	122	105
Other current assets	90	81
Total current assets	1,538	1,399
Investment in unconsolidated entities	54	42
Deferred income taxes	383	348
Other assets, net	135	109
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,144	1,167
Goodwill	167	169
Other intangible assets, net	89	91
Total assets	3,510	3,325
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	503	418
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Debt payable within one year	61	76
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	90	63
Income taxes payable	7	4
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	48	40
Other current liabilities	124	129
Total current liabilities	833	730
Long-term debt	3,727	3,419
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	304	309
Deferred income taxes	19	18
Other long-term liabilities	169	166
Total liabilities	5,052	4,642
Total deficit	(1,542)	(1,317)
Total liabilities and deficit	$ 3,510	$ 3,325