Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Balance Sheets (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	$ 335	$ 419	$ 322	$ 416
Short-term investments	6	5
Accounts receivable, net	675	527
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	306	262
Raw materials and supplies	124	105
Other current assets	87	81
Total current assets	1,533	1,399
Investment in unconsolidated entities	49	42
Deferred income taxes	380	348
Other assets, net	132	109
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,131	1,167
Goodwill	166	169
Other intangible assets, net	86	91
Total assets	3,477	3,325
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	529	418
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Debt payable within one year	78	76
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	83	63
Income taxes payable	8	4
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	42	40
Other current liabilities	118	129
Total current liabilities	858	730
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	3,705	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	311	309
Deferred income taxes	18	18
Other long-term liabilities	170	166
Total liabilities	5,062	4,642
Total deficit	(1,585)	(1,317)
Total liabilities and deficit	3,477	3,325
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	225	276
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	209	177
Intercompany accounts receivable	170	126
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	221	162
Finished and in-process goods	119	109
Raw materials and supplies	47	35
Other current assets	35	38
Total current assets	1,026	923
Investment in unconsolidated entities	182	252
Deferred income taxes	370	337
Other assets, net	33	0
Intercompany loans receivable	1,149	773
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	490	493
Goodwill	93	93
Other intangible assets, net	50	53
Total assets	3,393	2,924
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	171	136
Intercompany accounts payable	116	96
Debt payable within one year	20	13
Intercompany loans payable within one year	200	197
Interest payable	9	12
Income taxes payable	2	3
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	11	14
Other current liabilities	59	64
Total current liabilities	588	535
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	309	860
Intercompany loans payable	3,394	2,303
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	470	325
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	92	98
Deferred income taxes	1	0
Other long-term liabilities	124	120
Total liabilities	4,978	4,241
Total deficit	(1,585)	(1,317)
Total liabilities and deficit	3,393	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	74	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	74	52
Investment in unconsolidated entities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	63	42
Intercompany loans receivable	3,362	2,273
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	3,499	2,367
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	6	4
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	73	51
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	79	55
Long-term liabilities
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	3,414	2,204
Total deficit	85	163
Total liabilities and deficit	3,499	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	28	42
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	2	28
Intercompany loans receivable	29	27
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	59	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 liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	7	7
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	108	107
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	115	115
Total deficit	(56)	(18)
Total liabilities and deficit	59	97
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $3, respectively)	110	143
Short-term investments	6	5
Accounts receivable, net	466	350
Intercompany accounts receivable	605	318
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	354	624
Finished and in-process goods	187	153
Raw materials and supplies	77	70
Other current assets	52	43
Total current assets	1,857	1,706
Investment in unconsolidated entities	32	18
Deferred income taxes	10	11
Other assets, net	34	39
Intercompany loans receivable	3,849	3,835
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	641	674
Goodwill	73	76
Other intangible assets, net	36	38
Total assets	6,532	6,397
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	358	282
Intercompany accounts payable	727	395
Debt payable within one year	58	63
Intercompany loans payable within one year	375	589
Interest payable	1	0
Income taxes payable	6	1
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	31	26
Other current liabilities	59	65
Total current liabilities	1,615	1,421
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	69	421
Intercompany loans payable	4,988	4,594
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	219	211
Deferred income taxes	15	17
Other long-term liabilities	40	40
Total liabilities	6,946	6,704
Total deficit	(414)	(307)
Total liabilities and deficit	6,532	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	(849)	(496)
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	(575)	(786)
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(1,424)	(1,282)
Investment in unconsolidated entities	(193)	(270)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	(8,389)	(6,908)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(10,006)	(8,460)
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(849)	(496)
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	(575)	(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	(1,424)	(1,282)
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(8,389)	(6,908)
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	(578)	(432)
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(10,391)	(8,622)
Total deficit	385	162
Total liabilities and deficit	$ (10,006)	$ (8,460)