Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Balance Sheets - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	$ 115	$ 196
Accounts receivable, net	462	390
Finished and in-process goods	221	199
Raw materials and supplies	92	88
Total current assets held for sale	6	0
Other current assets	44	45
Total current assets	940	918
Investment in unconsolidated entities	20	18
Total long-term assets held for sale	2	0
Other assets, net	49	43
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	924	893
Goodwill	112	121	$ 122
Other intangible assets, net	42	52
Total assets	2,097	2,055
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	402	368
Debt payable within one year	125	107
Interest payable	82	70
Income taxes payable	12	13
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	47	55
Total current liabilities associated with assets held for sale	2	0
Other current liabilities	135	159
Total current liabilities	805	772
Long-term debt	3,584	3,397
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	262	246
Long-term deferred income taxes	11	13
Other long-term liabilities	177	166
Total liabilities	4,839	4,594
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(2,741)	(2,538)
Noncontrolling interest	(1)	(1)
Total deficit	(2,742)	(2,539)	$ (2,477)	$ (2,350)
Total liabilities and deficit	2,097	2,055
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	13	28
Accounts receivable, net	126	119
Intercompany accounts receivable	121	106
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	1	0
Finished and in-process goods	85	82
Raw materials and supplies	36	31
Total current assets held for sale	1
Other current assets	19	26
Total current assets	402	392
Investment in unconsolidated entities	158	93
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Total long-term assets held for sale	0
Other assets, net	17	17
Intercompany loans receivable	1,114	1,050
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	410	448
Goodwill	52	65
Other intangible assets, net	32	41
Total assets	2,185	2,106
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	129	142
Intercompany accounts payable	80	60
Debt payable within one year	10	6
Intercompany loans payable within one year	22	175
Interest payable	80	69
Income taxes payable	6	6
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	22	28
Total current liabilities associated with assets held for sale	0
Other current liabilities	70	110
Total current liabilities	419	596
Long-term debt	3,507	3,378
Intercompany loans payable	190	180
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	668	339
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	31	42
Long-term deferred income taxes	2	4
Other long-term liabilities	109	105
Total liabilities	4,926	4,644
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(2,741)	(2,538)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(2,741)	(2,538)
Total liabilities and deficit	2,185	2,106
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	0	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
Total current assets held for sale	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	1	1
Investment in unconsolidated entities	13	13
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Total long-term assets held for sale	0
Other assets, net	8	6
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	22	20
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
Total current liabilities associated with assets held for sale	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	0	0
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	0	0
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	171	106
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	171	106
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(149)	(86)
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	(149)	(86)
Total liabilities and deficit	22	20
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	102	168
Accounts receivable, net	335	270
Intercompany accounts receivable	80	60
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	22	175
Finished and in-process goods	136	117
Raw materials and supplies	56	57
Total current assets held for sale	5
Other current assets	25	19
Total current assets	761	866
Investment in unconsolidated entities	20	18
Deferred income taxes	8	10
Total long-term assets held for sale	2
Other assets, net	24	20
Intercompany loans receivable	190	180
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	514	445
Goodwill	60	56
Other intangible assets, net	10	11
Total assets	1,589	1,606
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	273	226
Intercompany accounts payable	121	106
Debt payable within one year	115	101
Intercompany loans payable within one year	1	0
Interest payable	2	1
Income taxes payable	6	7
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	25	27
Total current liabilities associated with assets held for sale	2
Other current liabilities	65	49
Total current liabilities	610	517
Long-term debt	77	19
Intercompany loans payable	1,114	1,050
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	0	0
Long-term pension and post employment benefit obligations	231	204
Long-term deferred income taxes	9	9
Other long-term liabilities	68	61
Total liabilities	2,109	1,860
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(519)	(253)
Noncontrolling interest	(1)	(1)
Total deficit	(520)	(254)
Total liabilities and deficit	1,589	1,606
Consolidated [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	115	196
Accounts receivable, net	462	390
Intercompany accounts receivable	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	0	0
Finished and in-process goods	221	199
Raw materials and supplies	92	88
Total current assets held for sale	6
Other current assets	44	45
Total current assets	940	918
Investment in unconsolidated entities	20	18
Deferred income taxes	8	10
Total long-term assets held for sale	2
Other assets, net	49	43
Intercompany loans receivable	0	0
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	924	893
Goodwill	112	121
Other intangible assets, net	42	52
Total assets	2,097	2,055
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	402	368
Intercompany accounts payable	0	0
Debt payable within one year	125	107
Intercompany loans payable within one year	0	0
Interest payable	82	70
Income taxes payable	12	13
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	47	55
Total current liabilities associated with assets held for sale	2
Other current liabilities	135	159
Total current liabilities	805	772
Long-term debt	3,584	3,397
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
Long-term deferred income taxes		13
Other long-term liabilities		166
Total liabilities	4,839	4,594
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	(2,741)	(2,538)
Noncontrolling interest	(1)	(1)
Total deficit	(2,742)	(2,539)
Total liabilities and deficit	2,097	2,055
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current assets
Cash and cash equivalents (including restricted cash)	0	0
Accounts receivable, net	0	0
Intercompany accounts receivable	(201)	(166)
Intercompany loans receivable - current portion	(23)	(175)
Finished and in-process goods	0	0
Raw materials and supplies	0	0
Total current assets held for sale	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(224)	(341)
Investment in unconsolidated entities	(171)	(106)
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Total long-term assets held for sale	0
Other assets, net	0	0
Intercompany loans receivable	(1,304)	(1,230)
Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	0	0
Goodwill	0	0
Other intangible assets, net	0	0
Total assets	(1,699)	(1,677)
Current liabilities
Accounts and drafts payable	0	0
Intercompany accounts payable	(201)	(166)
Debt payable within one year	0	0
Intercompany loans payable within one year	(23)	(175)
Interest payable	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0
Accrued payroll and incentive compensation	0	0
Total current liabilities associated with assets held for sale	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(224)	(341)
Long-term debt	0	0
Intercompany loans payable	(1,304)	(1,230)
Accumulated losses of unconsolidated subsidiaries in excess of investment	(839)	(445)
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	(2,367)	(2,016)
Total Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. shareholder’s (deficit) equity	668	339
Noncontrolling interest	0	0
Total deficit	668	339
Total liabilities and deficit	$ (1,699)	$ (1,677)