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, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	$ (102)	$ (33)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(34)	(27)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	3	(1)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(52)	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	15
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates	0	(14)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(83)	(27)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	8	1
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	1,125
Repayments of long-term debt	(3)	(1,034)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	(34)
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	5	58
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(2)	(2)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(182)	(4)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	379	401
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	197	397
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(117)	45
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(18)	(14)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	(52)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	92	31
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	22	17
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt		0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	(543)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(23)	479
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees		(12)
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(23)	(76)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(118)	(14)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	165	276
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	47	262
Subsidiary Issuers [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(3)	14
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	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
Repayments of long-term debt	0	(120)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	(903)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees		(22)
Common stock dividends paid	0	(77)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	0	(14)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(3)	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	5	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	2	0
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	3	9
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	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
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	(1)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees		0
Common stock dividends paid	(3)	(8)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(3)	(9)
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	18	(16)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(16)	(13)
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	3	(1)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(13)	(13)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	8	1
Borrowings of long-term debt		17
Repayments of long-term debt	(3)	(371)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	23	425
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees		0
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	(92)	(31)
Net cash used in financing activities	(64)	41
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(2)	(2)
Decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(61)	10
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	209	125
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	148	135
Eliminations [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(3)	(85)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of (purchases of) debt securities, net	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(92)	(31)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(92)	(31)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt		0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees		0
Common stock dividends paid	3	85
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	92	31
Net cash used in financing activities	95	116
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