Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	$ (118)	$ (101)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(30)	(27)
proceeds from sale of assets, net	4
Change in restricted cash	1	(3)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(25)	(30)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	11	(13)
Borrowings of long-term debt	871	126
Repayments of long-term debt	(791)	(103)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(22)	0
Common stock dividends paid		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	69	10
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	2	2
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(72)	(119)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	179	228
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	107	109
Hexion Inc. [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	(93)	(99)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(13)	(18)
proceeds from sale of assets, net	4
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	33	27
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	24	9
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	(3)	(4)
Borrowings of long-term debt	770	110
Repayments of long-term debt	(742)	(84)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	46	26
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(18)
Common stock dividends paid		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	53	48
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(16)	(42)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	28	62
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	12	20
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	0	4
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
proceeds from sale of assets, net	0
Change in restricted cash	0	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
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0
Common stock dividends paid		(4)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	0	(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	(25)	(2)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(17)	(9)
proceeds from sale of assets, net	0
Change in restricted cash	1	(3)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(16)	(12)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt (repayments) borrowings	14	(9)
Borrowings of long-term debt	101	16
Repayments of long-term debt	(49)	(19)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(46)	(26)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(4)
Common stock dividends paid		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	(33)	(27)
Net cash used in financing activities	(17)	(65)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	2	2
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(56)	(77)
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	151	166
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	95	89
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities	0	(4)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
proceeds from sale of assets, net	0
Change in restricted cash	0	0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(33)	(27)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(33)	(27)
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
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0
Common stock dividends paid		4
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	33	27
Net cash used in financing activities	33	31
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