Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	$ (131)	$ 66
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(91)	(122)
Capitalized interest	(1)	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0	(7)
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net		6
Proceeds from dispositions, net	281	0
Cash received on buyers note	45	0
proceeds from sale of assets, net	1	1
Change in restricted cash	(11)	8
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates, net	(1)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	223	(114)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	(13)	(1)
Borrowings of long-term debt	461	492
Repayments of long-term debt	(643)	(393)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Capital contribution from parent	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	(10)
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(195)	88
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	1	(9)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(102)	31
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	228	156
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	126	187
Hexion Inc. [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(198)	(255)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(47)	(63)
Capitalized interest	(1)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired		0
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net		0
Proceeds from dispositions, net	146
Cash received on buyers note	45
proceeds from sale of assets, net	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	(13)	(13)
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates, net	(1)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	70	227
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	199	151
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	2	3
Borrowings of long-term debt	280	470
Repayments of long-term debt	(467)	(354)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	171	17
Capital contribution from parent	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees		(10)
Common stock dividends paid	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(14)	126
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(13)	22
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	62	23
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	49	45
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	4	14
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Capitalized interest	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired		0
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net		0
Proceeds from dispositions, net	0
Cash received on buyers note	0
proceeds from sale of assets, net	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	(9)	(8)
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates, net	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(9)	(8)
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
Capital contribution from parent	9	8
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees		0
Common stock dividends paid	(4)	(14)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	5	(6)
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	67	321
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(44)	(59)
Capitalized interest	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired		(7)
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net		6
Proceeds from dispositions, net	135
Cash received on buyers note	0
proceeds from sale of assets, net	1	1
Change in restricted cash	(11)	8
Capital contribution to subsidiary	0	0
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates, net	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	81	(51)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	(15)	(4)
Borrowings of long-term debt	181	22
Repayments of long-term debt	(176)	(39)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(171)	(17)
Capital contribution from parent	13	13
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	(70)	(227)
Net cash used in financing activities	(238)	(252)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	1	(9)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(89)	9
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	166	133
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	77	142
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(4)	(14)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Capitalized interest	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired		0
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net		0
Proceeds from dispositions, net	0
Cash received on buyers note	0
proceeds from sale of assets, net	0	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary	22	21
Funds remitted to unconsolidated affiliates, net	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(70)	(227)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(48)	(206)
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
Capital contribution from parent	(22)	(21)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees		0
Common stock dividends paid	4	14
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	70	227
Net cash used in financing activities	52	220
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