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Commitments and Contingencies Level 4 (Details) - Environmental Liabilities (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
sites
Dec. 31, 2014
sites
Accrued Environmental Loss Contingencies, Current $ 9us-gaap_AccruedEnvironmentalLossContingenciesCurrent $ 12us-gaap_AccruedEnvironmentalLossContingenciesCurrent
Estimated Litigation Liability, Current 7us-gaap_LitigationReserveCurrent 7us-gaap_LitigationReserveCurrent
Environmental Institution of Parana IAP [Member]    
Liability 12us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_EnvironmentalInstitutionOfParanaIapMember
 
Geismar, LA [Member]    
Discount rate assumed to record at present value 3.00%msc_DiscountRateAssumedToRecordAtPresentValue
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_GeismarLaMember
 
Undiscounted Liability Expected to be Paid next 24 years  
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies, Gross 20us-gaap_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesGross
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_GeismarLaMember
 
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies, Undiscounted, Due Ratably over the Next Five Years 6msc_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesUndiscountedDueWithinOneToFiveYears
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_GeismarLaMember
 
Liability 15us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_GeismarLaMember
15us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_GeismarLaMember
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - Low 9us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedLowEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_GeismarLaMember
 
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - High 22us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedHighEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_GeismarLaMember
 
Number of Sites 1msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_GeismarLaMember
1msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_GeismarLaMember
Superfund and Offsite Landfills - allocated share: Less than 1% [Member]    
Liability 0us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsLessThan1Member
0us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsLessThan1Member
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - Low 0us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedLowEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsLessThan1Member
 
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - High 1us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedHighEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsLessThan1Member
 
Number of Sites 17msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsLessThan1Member
17msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsLessThan1Member
Superfund and Offsite Landfills - allocated share: Equal to or Greater than 1% [Member]    
Liability 7us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsEqualToOrGreaterThan1Member
7us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsEqualToOrGreaterThan1Member
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - Low 5us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedLowEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsEqualToOrGreaterThan1Member
 
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - High 13us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedHighEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsEqualToOrGreaterThan1Member
 
Number of Sites 11msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsEqualToOrGreaterThan1Member
11msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_SuperfundAndOffsiteLandfillsEqualToOrGreaterThan1Member
Currently-Owned [Member]    
Accrual for Environmental Loss Contingencies, Undiscounted, Due Ratably over the Next Five Years 5msc_AccrualForEnvironmentalLossContingenciesUndiscountedDueWithinOneToFiveYears
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_CurrentlyOwnedMember
 
Liability 6us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_CurrentlyOwnedMember
9us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_CurrentlyOwnedMember
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - Low 4us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedLowEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_CurrentlyOwnedMember
 
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - High 12us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedHighEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_CurrentlyOwnedMember
 
Number of Sites 13msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_CurrentlyOwnedMember
13msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_CurrentlyOwnedMember
Formerly-Owned - Remediation [Member]    
Liability 32us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedRemediationMember
30us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedRemediationMember
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - Low 31us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedLowEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedRemediationMember
 
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - High 45us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedHighEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedRemediationMember
 
Number of Sites 13msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedRemediationMember
12msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedRemediationMember
Formerly-Owned - Monitoring Only [Member]    
Liability 1us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedMonitoringOnlyMember
1us-gaap_LossContingencyEstimateOfPossibleLoss
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedMonitoringOnlyMember
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - Low 0us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedLowEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedMonitoringOnlyMember
 
Range of Reasonably Possible Costs - High $ 1us-gaap_SiteContingencyLossExposureNotAccruedHighEstimate
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedMonitoringOnlyMember
 
Number of Sites 4msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedMonitoringOnlyMember
4msc_NumberOfSites
/ us-gaap_EnvironmentalRemediationSiteAxis
= msc_FormerlyOwnedMonitoringOnlyMember