Supplementary Information Sundry Income (Expense) - Net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		4 Months Ended	8 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2017	Aug. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015
Successor [Member]
Schedule of Sundry Income (Expense) - Net [Line Items]
Royalty income		$ 60
Interest income		41
Equity in earnings of affiliates - net		1
Net gain on sales of businesses and other assets		16
Net exchange gains (losses)		8
Miscellaneous income and expenses, net	[1]	24
Sundry income - net		$ 90
Predecessor [Member]
Schedule of Sundry Income (Expense) - Net [Line Items]
Royalty income			$ 84		$ 170		$ 138
Interest income			83		102		124
Equity in earnings of affiliates - net			55		99		49
Net gain on sales of businesses and other assets			205	[2]	435	[3]	92
Net exchange gains (losses)			(394)		(106)		30
Miscellaneous income and expenses, net	[1]		133		7		257
Sundry income - net			166		707		$ 690
Food Safety Diagnostic Business [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
Schedule of Sundry Income (Expense) - Net [Line Items]
Pre-tax gain on disposal			162
Gain on disposal, net of tax			$ 86
DuPont (Shenzhen) Manufacturing Limited [Member] | Predecessor [Member]
Schedule of Sundry Income (Expense) - Net [Line Items]
Gain on sale of entity					369
Gain on sale of entity, after tax					$ 214

[1] Miscellaneous income and expenses - net, includes interest items (in the Predecessor period only), gains (losses) on available for sale securities, gains related to litigation settlements, licensing income, gains on purchases, and other items.

[2] Includes a pre-tax gain of $162 million ($86 million net of tax) for the period January 1 through August 31, 2017 related to the sale of global food safety diagnostics. See Note 4 for additional information.

[3] Includes a pre-tax gain of $369 million ($214 million net of tax) for the year ended December 31, 2016 related to the sale of DuPont (Shenzhen) Manufacturing Limited. See Note 4 for additional information.