Segment Information (Schedule of Segment Information) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	15 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended				3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended					3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011 Danisco Acquisition [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Danisco Acquisition [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Restructuring Program 2011 [Member] Danisco Acquisition [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Imprelis [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Imprelis [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Imprelis [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Agriculture [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Agriculture [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Agriculture [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Agriculture [Member]		Dec. 31, 2011 Agriculture [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Agriculture [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Agriculture [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Agriculture [Member] Imprelis [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Agriculture [Member] Imprelis [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Agriculture [Member] Imprelis [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Electronics and Communications [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Electronics and Communications [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Electronics and Communications [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Electronics and Communications [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Electronics and Communications [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Electronics and Communications [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Industrial Biosciences [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Industrial Biosciences [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Industrial Biosciences [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Industrial Biosciences [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Industrial Biosciences [Member] Danisco Acquisition [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Industrial Biosciences [Member] Danisco Acquisition [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Industrial Biosciences [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Industrial Biosciences [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Nutrition and Health [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Nutrition and Health [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Nutrition and Health [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Nutrition and Health [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Nutrition and Health [Member] Danisco Acquisition [Member]	Jun. 30, 2011 Nutrition and Health [Member] Danisco Acquisition [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Nutrition and Health [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Nutrition and Health [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Performance Chemicals [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Performance Chemicals [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Performance Chemicals [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Performance Chemicals [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Performance Chemicals [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Performance Chemicals [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Performance Materials [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Performance Materials [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Performance Materials [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Performance Materials [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Performance Materials [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Performance Materials [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Safety and Protection [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Safety and Protection [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Safety and Protection [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Safety and Protection [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Safety and Protection [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Safety and Protection [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Pharmaceuticals [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Pharmaceuticals [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Pharmaceuticals [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Pharmaceuticals [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Other [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Other [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Other [Member]		Sep. 30, 2011 Other [Member]		Sep. 30, 2012 Other [Member] INVISTA [Member]	Sep. 30, 2011 Other [Member] Danisco Acquisition [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Reportable Segment [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]	Sep. 30, 2012 Reportable Segment [Member] Restructuring Program 2012 [Member]
Segment sales	$ 7,480	$ 8,236	$ 27,797	$ 26,643									$ 1,423	[1]	$ 1,368	[1]	$ 8,891	[1]	$ 7,869	[1]							$ 607		$ 841	$ 2,079		$ 2,543			$ 292		$ 293		$ 880		$ 416						$ 876		$ 844		$ 2,569		$ 1,654						$ 1,732		$ 2,142	$ 5,600		$ 5,934			$ 1,614		$ 1,745	$ 4,913		$ 5,197			$ 934		$ 1,001	$ 2,861		$ 2,991			$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 2	$ 2		$ 4		$ 39
Less: Transfers	90	98	310	305									0	[1]	1	[1]	4	[1]	1	[1]							4		4	13		14			3		4		8		5						0		0		0		0						56		58	202		194			24		27	74		81			3		4	9		10			0	0	0	0	0	0		0		0
Net sales	7,390	8,138	27,487	26,338									1,423	[1]	1,367	[1]	8,887	[1]	7,868	[1]							603		837	2,066		2,529			289		289		872		411						876		844		2,569		1,654						1,676		2,084	5,398		5,740			1,590		1,718	4,839		5,116			931		997	2,852		2,981			0	0	0	0	2	2		4		39
PTOI	356	778	4,402	4,708									(213)	[1],[2],[3]	(194)	[1],[2],[4]	1,712	[1],[2],[3]	1,743	[1],[2],[4]							(117)	[3],[5]	99	113	[3],[5],[6]	313			39	[3]	(27)	[7]	124	[3]	(34)	[7],[8]					74	[3]	(34)	[7]	269	[3]	(4)	[7],[8]					369	[3]	593	1,419	[3]	1,490			205	[3],[5]	231	762	[3],[5]	773			48	[3]	118	275	[3]	406			10	70	53	200	(59)	(78)	[7]	(325)	[9]	(179)	[7]
Segment net assets													8,306				8,306				4,765
Increase in net assets																	3,541
Product claims										(125)	(440)	(615)												(125)	(440)	(75)
Restructuring charge							(152)	(152)	(36)													(3)	(3)										(7)	(7)											(3)	(3)											(13)	(13)							(3)	(3)							(9)	(9)							(55)	(55)														(93)	(93)
Asset impairment charge	(242)		(242)																								(150)			(150)																																					(92)			(92)
Gain on sale of equity method investment	0	0	122	0																										122
Milestone payment associated with licensing agreement															(50)				(50)
Acquisition related charges					(168)																																						(61)												(89)																																								(18)
Transaction related costs					(132)	(50)																																						(17)												(33)
Charge related to litigation settlement																																																																																														$ (137)

[1] As of September 30, 2012, Agriculture net assets were $8,306, an increase of $3,541 from $4,765 at December 31, 2011. The increase was primarily due to higher trade receivables due to normal seasonality in the sales and cash collections cycle.

[2] Included charges of $(125) and $(440) during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012, respectively, and a $(75) charge during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, recorded in cost of goods sold and other operating charges associated with the company's process to fairly resolve claims associated with the use of Imprelis®. See Note 9 for additional information.

[3] Included a $(93) restructuring charge impacting the following segments: Agriculture - $(3), Electronics & Communications - $(7), Industrial Biosciences - $(3), Nutrition & Health - $(13), Performance Chemicals - $(3), Performance Materials - $(9), and Safety & Protection - $(55).

[4] Included a $(50) charge recorded in research and development expense in connection with a milestone payment associated with a Pioneer licensing agreement. Since this milestone was reached before regulatory approval was secured by Pioneer, it was charged to research and development expense.

[5] Included a $(242) impairment charge recorded in employee separation/asset related charges, net related to asset groupings, which impacted the segments as follows: Electronics & Communications - $(150) and Performance Materials - $(92). See Note 3 for additional information.

[6] Included a $122 gain recorded in other (loss) income, net related to the sale of the company's interest in an equity method investment.

[7] Included charges related to the Danisco acquisition of $(168). These charges included $(132) recorded in cost of goods sold and other operating charges for transaction related costs and the fair value step-up of inventories that were acquired from Danisco and sold in the third quarter 2011. These charges also included a $(36) restructuring charge recorded in employee separation / asset related charges, net related to severance and related benefit costs. These charges impacted the segments as follows: Industrial Biosciences - $(61), Nutrition & Health - $(89) and Other - $(18).

[8] Included a $(50) charge recorded in cost of goods sold and other operating charges for transaction related costs and the fair value step-up of inventories that were acquired from Danisco and sold in the second quarter 2011, which impacted the segments as follows: Industrial Biosciences - $(17) and Nutrition & Health - $(33).

[9] Included a $(137) charge recorded in cost of goods sold and other operating charges primarily related to the company's settlement of litigation with INVISTA. See Note 9 for additional information.