Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ (33)	$ 18
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(27)	(30)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	(1)	4
Change in restricted cash	15	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(14)	(2)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(27)	(28)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	1	(12)
Borrowings of long-term debt	1,125	450
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,034)	(463)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(34)	(12)
Capital contribution from parent	0	16
Common stock dividends paid	0	(1)
Net cash used in financing activities	58	(22)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(2)	3
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(4)	(29)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	401	416
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	397	387
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	45	24
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(14)	(11)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	31	21
Change in restricted cash	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	17	10
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	(543)	(269)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	479	268
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(12)	(1)
Capital contribution from parent		16
Common stock dividends paid	0	(1)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(76)	13
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(14)	47
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	276	212
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	262	259
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	14	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
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	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	1,108	450
Repayments of long-term debt	(120)	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(903)	(439)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(22)	(11)
Capital contribution from parent		0
Common stock dividends paid	(77)	(1)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(14)	(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	9	5
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	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	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(1)	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Capital contribution from parent		0
Common stock dividends paid	(8)	(5)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(9)	(5)
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	(16)	(6)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(13)	(19)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	(1)	4
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Change in restricted cash	15
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(14)	(2)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(13)	(17)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	1	(12)
Borrowings of long-term debt	17	0
Repayments of long-term debt	(371)	(194)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	425	171
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Capital contribution from parent		0
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	(31)	(21)
Net cash used in financing activities	41	(56)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(2)	3
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	10	(76)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	125	204
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	135	128
Eliminations [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(85)	(6)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(31)	(21)
Change in restricted cash	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(31)	(21)
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
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Capital contribution from parent		0
Common stock dividends paid	85	6
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	31	21
Net cash used in financing activities	116	27
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	(33)	18
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(27)	(30)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	(1)	4
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Change in restricted cash	15
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(14)	(2)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(27)	(28)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	1	(12)
Borrowings of long-term debt	1,125	450
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,034)	(463)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(34)	(12)
Capital contribution from parent		16
Common stock dividends paid	0	(1)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	58	(22)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(2)	3
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(4)	(29)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	401	416
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	$ 397	$ 387