Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	$ 196	$ 236
Short-term investments	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	390	450
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	199	218
Raw materials and supplies	88	90
Other current assets	45	53
Total current assets	918	1,047
Investment in unconsolidated entities	18	36
Deferred income taxes	10	13
Other assets, net	43	48
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	893	1,051
Goodwill	121	122	$ 119
Other intangible assets, net	52	65
Total assets	2,055	2,382
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	368	386
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Debt payable within one year	107	80
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	70	82
Income taxes payable	13	15
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	55	78
Other current liabilities	159	123
Total current liabilities	772	764
Long-term debt	3,397	3,698
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	246	224
Long-term deferred income taxes	13	12
Other long-term liabilities	166	161
Total liabilities	4,594	4,859
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(2,538)	(2,476)
Noncontrolling interest	(1)	(1)
Total deficit	(2,539)	(2,477)	$ (2,350)	$ (2,073)
Total liabilities and deficit	2,055	2,382
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	28	62
Short-term investments		0
Accounts receivable, net	119	115
Intercompany accounts receivable	106	132
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	82	97
Raw materials and supplies	31	34
Other current assets	26	29
Total current assets	392	469
Investment in unconsolidated entities	93	117
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	17	21
Intercompany loans receivable	1,050	1,269
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	448	559
Goodwill	65	65
Other intangible assets, net	41	49
Total assets	2,106	2,549
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	142	148
Intercompany accounts payable	60	154
Debt payable within one year	6	6
Intercompany loans payable within one year	175	174
Interest payable	69	80
Income taxes payable	6	7
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	28	43
Other current liabilities	110	73
Total current liabilities	596	685
Long-term debt	3,378	3,656
Intercompany loans payable	180	93
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	339	429
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	42	45
Long-term deferred income taxes	4	6
Other long-term liabilities	105	111
Total liabilities	4,644	5,025
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(2,538)	(2,476)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(2,538)	(2,476)
Total liabilities and deficit	2,106	2,549
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	0	0
Short-term investments		0
Accounts receivable, net	1	1
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	1	1
Investment in unconsolidated entities	13	28
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	6	6
Intercompany loans receivable	0	6
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	20	41
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	0	6
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	106	130
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Long-term deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	106	136
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(86)	(95)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(86)	(95)
Total liabilities and deficit	20	41
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	168	174
Short-term investments		0
Accounts receivable, net	270	334
Intercompany accounts receivable	60	154
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	175	174
Finished and in-process goods	117	121
Raw materials and supplies	57	56
Other current assets	19	24
Total current assets	866	1,037
Investment in unconsolidated entities	18	21
Deferred income taxes	10	13
Other assets, net	20	21
Intercompany loans receivable	180	108
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	445	492
Goodwill	56	57
Other intangible assets, net	11	16
Total assets	1,606	1,765
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	226	238
Intercompany accounts payable	106	132
Debt payable within one year	101	74
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	1	2
Income taxes payable	7	8
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	27	35
Other current liabilities	49	50
Total current liabilities	517	539
Long-term debt	19	42
Intercompany loans payable	1,050	1,284
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	204	179
Long-term deferred income taxes	9	6
Other long-term liabilities	61	50
Total liabilities	1,860	2,100
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(253)	(334)
Noncontrolling interest	(1)	(1)
Total deficit	(254)	(335)
Total liabilities and deficit	1,606	1,765
Consolidated [Member]
Current liabilities
Noncontrolling interest		(1)
Total deficit		(2,477)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	0	0
Short-term investments		0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	(166)	(286)
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	(175)	(174)
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(341)	(460)
Investment in unconsolidated entities	(106)	(130)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other assets, net	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	(1,230)	(1,383)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(1,677)	(1,973)
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(166)	(286)
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	(175)	(174)
Interest payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(341)	(460)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(1,230)	(1,383)
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	(445)	(559)
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	0	0
Long-term deferred income taxes	0	0
Other long-term liabilities	0	0
Total liabilities	(2,016)	(2,402)
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	339	429
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	339	429
Total liabilities and deficit	$ (1,677)	$ (1,973)