Guarantor Non-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Information (Details) - Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities	$ (154)	$ (83)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(19)	(25)
Proceeds from disposition, net		49
Proceeds from sale of assets, net		1
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(19)	25
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings	0	(15)
Borrowings of long-term debt	196	166
Repayments of long-term debt	(40)	(96)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees paid	0	(1)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	156	54
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents		2
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(17)	(2)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	128	115
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	111	113
Hexion Inc. [Member]
Cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities	(186)	(91)
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(7)	(8)
Proceeds from disposition, net		24
Proceeds from sale of assets, net		0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	96	73
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	89	89
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings	(2)	(3)
Borrowings of long-term debt	49	50
Repayments of long-term debt	(24)	(58)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	70	19
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees paid		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	93	8
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents		0
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(4)	6
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	20	13
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	16	19
Combined Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from disposition, net
Proceeds from sale of assets, net
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees paid		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash provided by financing activities	0	0
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents		0
Change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	0	0
Combined Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities	32	8
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	(12)	(17)
Proceeds from disposition, net		25
Proceeds from sale of assets, net		1
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	0	0
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(12)	9
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings	2	(12)
Borrowings of long-term debt	147	116
Repayments of long-term debt	(16)	(38)
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	(70)	(19)
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees paid		(1)
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	(96)	(73)
Net cash provided by financing activities	(33)	(27)
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents		2
Change in cash and cash equivalents	(13)	(8)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	108	102
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	95	94
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities	0	0
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from disposition, net
Proceeds from sale of assets, net		0
Return of capital from subsidiary from sales of accounts receivable	(96)	(73)
Net cash (used in) provided by investing activities	(96)	(73)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities
Net short-term debt borrowings	0	0
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Net intercompany loan borrowings (repayments)	0	0
Long-term debt and credit facility financing fees paid		0
Return of capital to parent from sales of accounts receivable	96	73
Net cash provided by financing activities	96	73
Effect of exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents		0
Change in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	0	0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	$ 0	$ 0