GuarantorNon-Guarantor Subsidiary Financial Informa Guarantor Statement of Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales	[1]	$ 2,331	$ 2,233	$ 2,289
Cost of Goods Sold		1,831	1,845	1,894
Costs and expenses:
Gross Profit		500	388	395
Selling, general and administrative expenses		333	347	285
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		154	185	153
Depreciation and amortization expenses		(154)	(185)	(153)
Research and development expenses		64	64	65
Restructuring and Discrete Costs		6	42	32
Other Operating Income (Expense), Net		9	19	2
Operating (loss) income		88	(84)	11
Other income (expense):
Interest Expense		80	76	79
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt		0	(9)	(7)
Other income, net		(8)	(7)	3
Reorganization Items		1	2	8
(Loss) income before income taxes and losses from unconsolidated entities		15	(146)	(72)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(15)	(18)	(13)
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities		0	(164)	(85)
Losses from unconsolidated entities		0	(1)	(2)
Net loss		0	(163)	(83)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		0	(163)	(83)
Gains (loss) on extinguishment and exchange of debt		0	(9)	(7)
Parent Company [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales		0	0	0
Cost of Goods Sold		0	0	0
Costs and expenses:
Gross Profit		0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses		0	1	0
Research and development expenses		0	0	0
Restructuring and Discrete Costs		0	0	0
Other Operating Income (Expense), Net		0	0	(2)
Operating (loss) income		0	(1)	2
Other income (expense):
Interest Expense		75	72	77
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			(9)	(7)
Other income, net		(2)	(8)	0
Reorganization Items		0	0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes and losses from unconsolidated entities		(73)	(56)	(68)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		0	0	0
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities		(73)	(56)	(68)
Losses from unconsolidated entities		(74)	105	14
Net loss		1	(161)	(82)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		59	(145)	(146)
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales		1,128	1,047	1,062
Cost of Goods Sold		958	913	927
Costs and expenses:
Gross Profit		170	134	135
Selling, general and administrative expenses		178	183	137
Research and development expenses		42	39	41
Restructuring and Discrete Costs		23	10	26
Other Operating Income (Expense), Net		14	3	2
Operating (loss) income		(87)	(101)	(71)
Other income (expense):
Interest Expense		(27)	(44)	(59)
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0	0
Other income, net		(6)	1	(1)
Reorganization Items		1	2	8
(Loss) income before income taxes and losses from unconsolidated entities		(55)	(60)	(19)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		0	10	(1)
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities		(55)	(50)	(20)
Losses from unconsolidated entities		(129)	55	(6)
Net loss		74	(105)	(14)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		131	(88)	(79)
Non-guarantor subsidiaries [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales		1,838	1,775	1,783
Cost of Goods Sold		1,508	1,521	1,523
Costs and expenses:
Gross Profit		330	254	260
Selling, general and administrative expenses		154	161	147
Research and development expenses		22	25	24
Restructuring and Discrete Costs		(17)	32	6
Other Operating Income (Expense), Net		(5)	16	2
Operating (loss) income		176	20	81
Other income (expense):
Interest Expense		32	48	61
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0	0
Other income, net		0	0	4
Reorganization Items		0	0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes and losses from unconsolidated entities		144	(28)	16
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(15)	(28)	(12)
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities		129	(56)	4
Losses from unconsolidated entities		0	(1)	(2)
Net loss		129	(55)	6
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		139	(49)	(14)
MPM Inc [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales		2,331	2,233	2,289
Cost of Goods Sold		1,831	1,845	1,894
Costs and expenses:
Gross Profit		500	388	395
Selling, general and administrative expenses		332	345	284
Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization		154	185	153
Research and development expenses		64	64	65
Restructuring and Discrete Costs		6	42	32
Other Operating Income (Expense), Net		9	19	2
Operating (loss) income		89	(82)	12
Other income (expense):
Interest Expense		80	76	79
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt		0	(9)	(7)
Other income, net		(8)	(7)	3
Reorganization Items		1	2	8
(Loss) income before income taxes and losses from unconsolidated entities		16	(144)	(71)
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		(15)	(18)	(13)
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities		1	(162)	(84)
Losses from unconsolidated entities		0	(1)	(2)
Net loss		1	(161)	(82)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Parent		1	(161)	(82)
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		59	(145)	(146)
Gains (loss) on extinguishment and exchange of debt		0	(9)	(7)
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net sales		(635)	(589)	(556)
Cost of Goods Sold		(635)	(589)	(556)
Costs and expenses:
Gross Profit		0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses		0	0	0
Research and development expenses		0	0	0
Restructuring and Discrete Costs		0	0	0
Other Operating Income (Expense), Net		0	0	0
Operating (loss) income		0	0	0
Other income (expense):
Interest Expense		0	0	0
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt			0	0
Other income, net		0	0	0
Reorganization Items		0	0	0
(Loss) income before income taxes and losses from unconsolidated entities		0	0	0
Income Tax Expense (Benefit)		0	0	0
Loss before earnings from unconsolidated entities		0	0	0
Losses from unconsolidated entities		203	(160)	(8)
Net loss		(203)	160	8
Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest		$ (270)	$ 137	$ 93

[1] sales are not significant and, as such, are eliminated within the selling segment.