Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Operations - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Net sales	$ 914	$ 819	$ 2,696	$ 2,680
Cost of sales	797	701	2,312	2,357
Gross profit	117	118	384	323
Selling, general and administrative expense	75	69	227	235
Gain on dispositions	0	0	0	(240)
Business realignment costs (income)	10	(3)	27	42
Other operating expense, net	1	7	4	6
Operating income	18	45	113	280
Interest expense, net	82	76	247	235
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt	0	(3)	3	(47)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(3)	2	(4)	1
(Loss) income before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	(61)	(30)	(133)	91
Income tax expense	9	16	16	40
(Loss) income before (losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities	(70)	(46)	(149)	51
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	0	(1)	3	8
Net (loss) income	(70)	(47)	(146)	59
Comprehensive income (loss)	(60)	(40)	(121)	66
Asset impairments (see Note 5)	13	0	13	0
Hexion Inc. [Member]
Net sales	400	356	1,195	1,119
Cost of sales	360	325	1,037	1,080
Gross profit	40	31	158	39
Selling, general and administrative expense	28	30	91	109
Gain on dispositions				(188)
Business realignment costs (income)	6	(7)	16	31
Other operating expense, net	3	10	0	14
Operating income	(10)	(2)	38	73
Interest expense, net	78	74	236	227
Intercompany interest expense (income)	(20)	(18)	(55)	(55)
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		(3)	3	(47)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(24)	(5)	(78)	(16)
(Loss) income before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	(44)	(50)	(68)	(36)
Income tax expense	3	9	(1)	5
(Loss) income before (losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities	(47)	(59)	(67)	(41)
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	(23)	12	(79)	100
Net (loss) income	(70)	(47)	(146)	59
Comprehensive income (loss)	(60)	(40)	(121)	66
Asset impairments (see Note 5)			13
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net sales	0	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expense	0	0	0	0
Gain on dispositions				0
Business realignment costs (income)	0	0	0	0
Other operating expense, net	0	6	0	6
Operating income	0	(6)	0	(6)
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		0	0	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	0	(6)	0	(6)
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before (losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities	0	(6)	0	(6)
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	(18)	(1)	(52)	45
Net (loss) income	(18)	(7)	(52)	39
Comprehensive income (loss)	(18)	(7)	(52)	39
Asset impairments (see Note 5)			0
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net sales	558	507	1,651	1,701
Cost of sales	481	420	1,425	1,417
Gross profit	77	87	226	284
Selling, general and administrative expense	47	39	136	126
Gain on dispositions				(52)
Business realignment costs (income)	4	4	11	11
Other operating expense, net	(2)	(9)	4	(14)
Operating income	28	53	75	213
Interest expense, net	4	2	11	8
Intercompany interest expense (income)	20	18	55	55
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		0	0	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	21	7	74	17
(Loss) income before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	(17)	26	(65)	133
Income tax expense	6	7	17	35
(Loss) income before (losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities	(23)	19	(82)	98
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	1	0	3	2
Net (loss) income	(22)	19	(79)	100
Comprehensive income (loss)	(22)	26	(71)	100
Asset impairments (see Note 5)			0
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Net sales	(44)	(44)	(150)	(140)
Cost of sales	(44)	(44)	(150)	(140)
Gross profit	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expense	0	0	0	0
Gain on dispositions				0
Business realignment costs (income)	0	0	0	0
Other operating expense, net	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss on extinguishment of debt		0	0	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before income tax and earnings from unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
Income tax expense	0	0	0	0
(Loss) income before (losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities	0	0	0	0
(Losses) earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	40	(12)	131	(139)
Net (loss) income	40	(12)	131	(139)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 40	$ (19)	123	$ (139)
Asset impairments (see Note 5)			$ 0