Segment Information (Schedule of Segment Information) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
PTOI	$ 5,616	$ 4,862	$ 3,340
Depreciation and amortization	1,560	1,380	1,503
Equity in earnings of affiliates	192	177	99
Segment net assets	27,697	19,684	18,746
Affiliate net assets	1,117	1,041	1,014
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	1,843	1,508	1,308
Operating Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	38,368	31,822	26,335
Transfers	(407)	(317)	(226)
Net sales	37,961	31,505	26,109
PTOI	5,616	4,862	3,340
Depreciation and amortization	1,377	1,199	1,317
Equity in earnings of affiliates	193	180	89
Segment net assets	27,697	19,684	18,746
Affiliate net assets	1,387	1,364	1,293
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	1,610	1,374	1,179
Agriculture [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	9,166	7,845	7,069
Transfers	(1)	(1)	0
Net sales	9,165	7,844	7,069
PTOI	1,527	1,293	1,160
Depreciation and amortization	295	265	331
Equity in earnings of affiliates	58	59	47
Segment net assets	4,765	4,927	5,209
Affiliate net assets	330	289	307
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	420	360	300
Electronics and Communications [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	3,173	2,764	1,918
Transfers	(19)	(17)	(20)
Net sales	3,154	2,747	1,898
PTOI	355	445	87
Depreciation and amortization	99	94	88
Equity in earnings of affiliates	19	26	1
Segment net assets	1,873	1,656	1,439
Affiliate net assets	197	195	190
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	198	260	237
Industrial Biosciences [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	705	0	0
Transfers	(7)	0	0
Net sales	698	0	0
PTOI	(1)	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	47	0	0
Equity in earnings of affiliates	(3)	0	0
Segment net assets	2,544	0	0
Affiliate net assets	52	0	0
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	61	0	0
Nutrition and Health [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	2,460	1,240	1,218
Transfers	0	0	0
Net sales	2,460	1,240	1,218
PTOI	44	62	64
Depreciation and amortization	207	109	108
Equity in earnings of affiliates	0	0	0
Segment net assets	6,229	950	1,003
Affiliate net assets	1	2	5
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	115	39	40
Performance Chemicals [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	7,794	6,322	4,964
Transfers	(257)	(216)	(145)
Net sales	7,537	6,106	4,819
PTOI	1,923	1,081	547
Depreciation and amortization	252	266	267
Equity in earnings of affiliates	43	24	9
Segment net assets	3,544	3,317	3,257
Affiliate net assets	201	184	152
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	326	225	192
Performance Coatings [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	4,281	3,806	3,429
Transfers	(1)	(1)	(1)
Net sales	4,280	3,805	3,428
PTOI	271	249	69
Depreciation and amortization	104	105	123
Equity in earnings of affiliates	2	2	1
Segment net assets	2,107	2,047	2,018
Affiliate net assets	16	16	15
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	80	74	55
Performance Materials [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	6,815	6,287	4,768
Transfers	(109)	(69)	(40)
Net sales	6,706	6,218	4,728
PTOI	971	994	287
Depreciation and amortization	199	205	249
Equity in earnings of affiliates	74	77	37
Segment net assets	3,473	3,545	3,286
Affiliate net assets	445	485	430
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	197	190	122
Safety and Protection [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	3,934	3,364	2,811
Transfers	(13)	(12)	(11)
Net sales	3,921	3,352	2,800
PTOI	500	454	260
Depreciation and amortization	172	151	147
Equity in earnings of affiliates	47	37	26
Segment net assets	3,057	2,967	2,257
Affiliate net assets	111	103	84
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	208	215	228
Pharmaceuticals [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	0	0	0
Transfers	0	0	0
Net sales	0	0	0
PTOI	289	489	1,037
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Equity in earnings of affiliates	0	0	0
Segment net assets	35	40	105
Affiliate net assets	0	0	39
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0	0
Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Segment sales	40	194	158
Transfers	0	(1)	(9)
Net sales	40	193	149
PTOI	(263)	(205)	(171)
Depreciation and amortization	2	4	4
Equity in earnings of affiliates	(47)	(45)	(32)
Segment net assets	70	235	172
Affiliate net assets	34	90	71
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	$ 5	$ 11	$ 5