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, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	$ (23)	$ 21
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(96)	(92)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	(1)	2
Capitalized interest	(1)	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	1	10
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Change in restricted cash	4	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(13)	(1)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(106)	(81)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	16	(7)
Borrowings of long-term debt	1,128	451
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,045)	(479)
Repayment of advance from affiliates	0	(7)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(37)	(13)
Capital contribution from parent	0	16
Common stock dividends paid	0	(2)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	62	(41)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(2)	4
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(69)	(97)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	401	416
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	332	319
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(33)	(5)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(49)	(39)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Capitalized interest	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	9
Capital contribution to subsidiary	(15)	(15)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	126	65
Change in restricted cash	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	62	20
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	(545)	(276)
Repayment of advance from affiliates		(7)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	437	258
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(13)	(2)
Capital contribution from parent	0	16
Common stock dividends paid	0	(2)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(121)	(13)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(92)	2
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	276	212
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	184	214
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	1	(66)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Capitalized interest	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	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
Repayment of advance from affiliates		0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(882)	(364)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(24)	(11)
Capital contribution from parent	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	(83)	(9)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(1)	66
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	17	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
Capitalized interest	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	(10)	(10)
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	(10)	(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	0	0
Repayment of advance from affiliates		0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(2)	(3)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	10	10
Common stock dividends paid	(15)	(13)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(7)	(6)
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	90	98
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(47)	(53)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	(1)	2
Capitalized interest	(1)
Proceeds from sale of assets	1	1
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Change in restricted cash	4
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	(13)	(1)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(57)	(51)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	16	(7)
Borrowings of long-term debt	20	1
Repayments of long-term debt	(380)	(203)
Repayment of advance from affiliates		0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	447	109
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	15	15
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	(126)	(65)
Net cash used in financing activities	(8)	(150)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(2)	4
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	23	(99)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	125	204
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	148	105
Eliminations [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(98)	(22)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Capitalized interest	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	25	25
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(126)	(65)
Change in restricted cash	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(101)	(40)
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
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	(25)	(25)
Common stock dividends paid	98	22
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	126	65
Net cash used in financing activities	199	62
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