Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Operations - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Net sales	$ 3,591	$ 3,438	$ 4,140
Cost of sales	3,090	3,038	3,540
Gross profit	501	400	600
Selling, general and administrative expense	307	328	306
Asset and goodwill impairment	13	0	6
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business	0	240	0
Business realignment costs	52	55	16
Other operating expense (income), net	17	13	12
Operating income	112	244	260
Interest expense, net	329	310	326
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt	3	(48)	(41)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	0	(7)	(3)
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities	(220)	(11)	(22)
Income tax (benefit) expense	18	38	34
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(238)	(49)	(56)
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	4	11	17
Net loss	(234)	(38)	(39)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	0	0	(1)
Net loss attributable to Hexion Inc.	(234)	(38)	(40)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(203)	(62)	(128)
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net sales	1,586	1,449	1,715
Cost of sales	1,374	1,370	1,528
Gross profit	212	79	187
Selling, general and administrative expense	134	142	134
Asset and goodwill impairment	13		0
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business		188
Business realignment costs	24	39	7
Other operating expense (income), net	3	18	16
Operating income	38	68	30
Interest expense, net	315	300	317
Intercompany interest expense (income)	(75)	(72)	(80)
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt	3	(48)	(41)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	(65)	17	94
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities	(140)	(129)	(260)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(7)	(3)	(2)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(133)	(126)	(258)
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	(101)	88	218
Net income from continuing operations			(40)
Net loss	(234)	(38)	(40)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest			0
Comprehensive income (loss)	(203)	(62)	(128)
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net sales	0	0	0
Cost of sales	0	0	0
Gross profit	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expense	0	0	0
Asset and goodwill impairment	0		0
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business		0
Business realignment costs	0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	(1)	5	0
Operating income	1	(5)	0
Interest expense, net	0	0	0
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	0	0	0
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities	1	(5)	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(1)	(5)	0
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	(64)	31	132
Net income from continuing operations			132
Net loss	(63)	26	132
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest			0
Comprehensive income (loss)	(63)	25	133
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net sales	2,203	2,171	2,603
Cost of sales	1,914	1,850	2,190
Gross profit	289	321	413
Selling, general and administrative expense	173	186	172
Asset and goodwill impairment	0		6
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business		52
Business realignment costs	28	16	9
Other operating expense (income), net	15	(10)	(4)
Operating income	73	181	230
Interest expense, net	14	10	9
Intercompany interest expense (income)	75	72	80
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	65	(24)	(97)
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities	(81)	123	238
Income tax (benefit) expense	25	41	36
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	106	82	202
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	4	5	1
Net income from continuing operations			203
Net loss	(102)	87	202
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest			(1)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(108)	66	156
Consolidated [Member]
Net sales	3,591	3,438	4,140
Cost of sales	3,090	3,038	3,540
Gross profit	501	400	600
Selling, general and administrative expense	307	328	306
Asset and goodwill impairment			6
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business		240
Business realignment costs	52	55	16
Other operating expense (income), net	17	13	12
Operating income	112	244	260
Interest expense, net	329	310	326
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt	3	(48)	(41)
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	0	(7)	(3)
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities	(220)	(11)	(22)
Income tax (benefit) expense	18	38	34
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	(238)	(49)	(56)
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	4	11	17
Net income from continuing operations			(39)
Net loss	(234)	(38)	(40)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest			(1)
Comprehensive income (loss)	(203)	(62)	(128)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Net sales	(198)	(182)	(178)
Cost of sales	(198)	(182)	(178)
Gross profit	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expense	0	0	0
Asset and goodwill impairment	0		0
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Business		0
Business realignment costs	0	0	0
Other operating expense (income), net	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0
Interest expense, net	0	0	0
Intercompany interest expense (income)	0	0	0
Loss (gain) on extinguishment of debt	0	0	0
Other non-operating (income) expense, net	0	0	0
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities	0	0	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	0	0	0
Earnings from unconsolidated entities, net of taxes	165	(113)	(334)
Net income from continuing operations			(334)
Net loss	165	(113)	(334)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest			0
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ 171	$ (91)	$ (289)