Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information Level 4 (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	$ (23)	$ (153)	$ (20)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	90	117	140
Proceeds from the dispositions, net	49	0	281
Cash received on buyers note	0	0	75
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	1	8	5
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Dividends or Interest	0	0	(1)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(40)	(110)	219
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	10	21	(22)
Borrowings of long-term debt	540	1,429	644
Repayments of long-term debt	(468)	(1,251)	(856)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(1)	(25)	(1)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	81	174	(235)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	128	115	196	$ 236
Momentive Specialty Chemicals Inc. [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(416)	(278)	(202)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(30)	(40)	(67)
Capitalized interest		0	(1)
Proceeds from the dispositions, net	24		147
Cash received on buyers note			75
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	0	5	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary			(13)
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Dividends or Interest			(1)
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	346	182
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	340	147	235
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	0	3	(1)
Borrowings of long-term debt	305	1,053	360
Repayments of long-term debt	(244)	(921)	(601)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	22	1	176
Capital contribution from parent			0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	(20)	(1)
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	83	116	(67)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	7	(15)	(34)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	20	13	28	62
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	0	4
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Capitalized interest		0	0
Proceeds from the dispositions, net	0		0
Cash received on buyers note			0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	0	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary			(9)
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	0	(9)
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
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	0	0	(4)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	0	0	5
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	0	0	0	0
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	393	126	182
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(60)	(77)	(73)
Capitalized interest		(1)	0
Proceeds from the dispositions, net	25		134
Cash received on buyers note			0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	1	3	5
Capital contribution to subsidiary			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	(34)	(75)	66
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	10	18	(21)
Borrowings of long-term debt	235	376	284
Repayments of long-term debt	(224)	(330)	(255)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	(22)	(1)	(176)
Capital contribution from parent			13
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(1)	(5)	0
Common stock dividends paid	0	(1)	0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	346	182	95
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(348)	(125)	(250)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(5)	8	(4)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	6	(66)	(6)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	108	102	168	174
Consolidated [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	(23)	(153)	(20)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(90)	(117)	(140)
Capitalized interest		(1)	(1)
Proceeds from the dispositions, net	49		281
Cash received on buyers note			75
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	1	8	5
Capital contribution to subsidiary			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	(40)	(110)	219
Cash flows (used in) provided by financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings (repayments)	10	21	(22)
Borrowings of long-term debt	540	1,429	644
Repayments of long-term debt	(468)	(1,251)	(856)
Net Intercompany Loan Borrowings (Repayments)	0	0	0
Capital contribution from parent			0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	(1)	(25)	(1)
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	81	174	(235)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	(5)	8	(4)
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	13	(81)	(40)
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	128	115	196	236
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities	0	(1)	(4)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0	0
Capitalized interest		0	0
Proceeds from the dispositions, net	0		0
Cash received on buyers note			0
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	0	0	0
Capital contribution to subsidiary			22
Investments in and Advances to Affiliates, Dividends or Interest			0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(346)	(182)	(95)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(346)	(182)	(73)
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)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees	0	0	0
Common stock dividends paid	0	1	4
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	(346)	(182)	(95)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	346	183	77
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0