Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Balance Sheets (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $14, respectively)	$ 346	$ 419
Short-term investments	5	5
Accounts receivable, net	668	527
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	304	262
Raw materials and supplies	135	105
Other current assets	93	81
Total current assets	1,551	1,399
Investment in unconsolidated entities	49	42
Deferred income taxes	346	360
Other assets, net	131	109
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	1,152	1,167
Goodwill	169	169
Other intangible assets, net	84	91
Total assets	3,482	3,337
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	516	418
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Debt payable within one year	82	76
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	90	63
Income taxes payable	30	4
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	52	40
Other current liabilities	127	129
Total current liabilities	897	730
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	3,704	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	307	309
Deferred income taxes	19	18
Other long-term liabilities	168	159
Total liabilities	5,095	4,635
Total deficit	(1,613)	(1,298)
Total liabilities and deficit	3,482	3,337
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $14, respectively)	184	276
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	193	177
Intercompany accounts receivable	211	126
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	217	162
Finished and in-process goods	132	109
Raw materials and supplies	46	35
Other current assets	44	38
Total current assets	1,027	923
Investment in unconsolidated entities	217	252
Deferred income taxes	324	337
Other assets, net	33	0
Intercompany loans receivable	1,196	773
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	494	493
Goodwill	93	93
Other intangible assets, net	48	53
Total assets	3,432	2,924
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	176	136
Intercompany accounts payable	130	96
Debt payable within one year	20	13
Intercompany loans payable within one year	177	197
Interest payable	4	12
Income taxes payable	23	3
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	12	14
Other current liabilities	66	64
Total current liabilities	608	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	542	325
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	85	98
Deferred income taxes	1	0
Other long-term liabilities	106	101
Total liabilities	5,045	4,222
Total deficit	(1,613)	(1,298)
Total liabilities and deficit	3,432	2,924
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $14, respectively)	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	89	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	89	52
Investment in unconsolidated entities	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	61	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	3,512	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	85	51
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	91	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	3,426	2,204
Total deficit	86	163
Total liabilities and deficit	3,512	2,367
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $14, 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	31	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	62	97
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	1	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	1	1
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	7	7
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	142	107
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	150	115
Total deficit	(88)	(18)
Total liabilities and deficit	62	97
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $14, respectively)	162	143
Short-term investments	5	5
Accounts receivable, net	475	350
Intercompany accounts receivable	804	318
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	395	624
Finished and in-process goods	172	153
Raw materials and supplies	89	70
Other current assets	49	43
Total current assets	2,151	1,706
Investment in unconsolidated entities	29	18
Deferred income taxes	22	23
Other assets, net	35	39
Intercompany loans receivable	4,024	3,835
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	658	674
Goodwill	76	76
Other intangible assets, net	36	38
Total assets	7,031	6,409
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	340	282
Intercompany accounts payable	967	395
Debt payable within one year	62	63
Intercompany loans payable within one year	435	589
Interest payable	1	0
Income taxes payable	7	1
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	40	26
Other current liabilities	61	65
Total current liabilities	1,913	1,421
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	68	421
Intercompany loans payable	5,210	4,594
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	222	211
Deferred income taxes	16	17
Other long-term liabilities	56	52
Total liabilities	7,485	6,716
Total deficit	(454)	(307)
Total liabilities and deficit	7,031	6,409
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash of $0 and $14, respectively)	0	0
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	(1,104)	(496)
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	(612)	(786)
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(1,716)	(1,282)
Investment in unconsolidated entities	(228)	(270)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	(8,611)	(6,908)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(10,555)	(8,460)
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(1,104)	(496)
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	(612)	(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	(1,716)	(1,282)
Long-term liabilities
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(8,611)	(6,908)
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	(684)	(432)
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(11,011)	(8,622)
Total deficit	456	162
Total liabilities and deficit	$ (10,555)	$ (8,460)