Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	$ (101)	$ 35
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(27)	(40)
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net	0	4
Change in restricted cash	(3)	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(30)	(36)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	(13)	(3)
Borrowings of long-term debt	126	119
Repayments of long-term debt	(103)	(114)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	10	2
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	2	(5)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(119)	(4)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	228	156
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	109	152
Hexion Inc. [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(99)	(28)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(18)	(20)
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net		0
Change in restricted cash	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	27	59
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	9	39
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	(4)	(3)
Borrowings of long-term debt	110	100
Repayments of long-term debt	(84)	(100)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	26	(6)
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	48	(9)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(42)	2
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	62	23
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	20	25
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	4	4
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net		0
Change in restricted cash	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	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	(4)	(4)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(4)	(4)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Increase (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	(2)	63
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(9)	(20)
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net		4
Change in restricted cash	(3)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(12)	(16)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	(9)	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	16	19
Repayments of long-term debt	(19)	(14)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(26)	6
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	(27)	(59)
Net cash used in financing activities	(65)	(48)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	2	(5)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(77)	(6)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	166	133
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	89	127
Eliminations [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(4)	(4)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net		0
Change in restricted cash	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(27)	(59)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(27)	(59)
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
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	4	4
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	27	59
Net cash used in financing activities	31	63
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Increase (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