Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ (153)	$ (20)	$ 213
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(117)	(140)	(175)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	0		(7)
Capitalized interest	(1)	(1)	(4)
Proceeds from the dispositions, net	0	281	0
Cash received on buyers note	0	75	0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	8	5	17
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash	(1)	9	(8)
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Dividends or Interest	0	1	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(109)	210	(155)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	21	(22)	(3)
Borrowings of long-term debt	1,429	644	523
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,251)	(856)	(485)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(25)	(1)	(11)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	174	(235)	24
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	6	(4)	(10)
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(82)	(49)	72
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	179	228	156
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	97	179	228
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(278)	(202)	(295)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(40)	(67)	(91)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			0
Capitalized interest	0	(1)	(3)
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net			0
Proceeds from the dispositions, net		147
Cash received on buyers note		75
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	5	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash	0	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary		(13)	(25)
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Dividends or Interest		(1)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	182	95	278
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	147	235	159
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	3	(1)	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	1,053	360	500
Repayments of long-term debt	(921)	(601)	(445)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	1	176	131
Capital contribution from parent		0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(20)	(1)	(11)
Common stock dividends paid	0	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	116	(67)	175
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(15)	(34)	39
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	28	62	23
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	13	28	62
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	4	19
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			0
Capitalized interest	0	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net			0
Proceeds from the dispositions, net		0
Cash received on buyers note		0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	0	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash	0	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary		(9)	(17)
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Dividends or Interest		0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	(9)	(17)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	0	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0	0
Capital contribution from parent		9	17
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	0	(4)	(19)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	5	(2)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	0	0	0
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	126	182	508
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(77)	(73)	(84)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			(7)
Capitalized interest	(1)	0	(1)
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net			6
Proceeds from the dispositions, net		134
Cash received on buyers note		0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	3	5	17
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash	1	9	(8)
Capital contribution to subsidiary		0	0
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Dividends or Interest		0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(74)	57	(61)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	18	(21)	(3)
Borrowings of long-term debt	376	284	23
Repayments of long-term debt	(330)	(255)	(40)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(1)	(176)	(131)
Capital contribution from parent		13	25
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(5)	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	(1)	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	(182)	(95)	(278)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(125)	(250)	(404)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	6	(4)	(10)
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(67)	(15)	33
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	151	166	133
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	84	151	166
Consolidated [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(153)	(20)	213
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(117)	(140)	(175)
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			(7)
Capitalized interest	(1)	(1)	(4)
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net			6
Proceeds from the dispositions, net		281
Cash received on buyers note		75
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	8	5	17
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash	(1)	(9)	(8)
Capital contribution to subsidiary		0	0
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Dividends or Interest		(1)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(109)	210	(155)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	21	(22)	(3)
Borrowings of long-term debt	1,429	644	523
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,251)	(856)	(485)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0	0
Capital contribution from parent		0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(25)	(1)	(11)
Common stock dividends paid	0	0	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	174	(235)	24
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	6	(4)	(10)
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(82)	(49)	72
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	179	228	156
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	97	179	228
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(1)	(4)	(19)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired			0
Capitalized interest	0	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of investments, net			0
Proceeds from the dispositions, net		0
Cash received on buyers note		0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	0	0	0
Increase (Decrease) in Restricted Cash	0	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary		22	42
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Dividends or Interest		0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(182)	(95)	(278)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(182)	(73)	(236)
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	0	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0	0
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0	0
Capital contribution from parent		(22)	(42)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	1	4	19
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	182	95	278
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	183	77	255
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
(Decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at beginning of period	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents (unrestricted) at end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0