Investment in Kronos Worldwide, Inc. - Selected Financial Information of Kronos Income Statement (Detail) - Kronos - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Schedule Of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 436.5	$ 430.4
Cost of sales	327.2	255.6
Income from operations	49.0	107.5
Income tax expense	12.8	29.0
Net income	$ 30.3	$ 70.7

Equity method investment summarized financial information income tax expense benefit.

No definition available.

Name:	nl_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationIncomeTaxExpenseBenefit
Namespace Prefix:	nl_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of the cost of sales reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationCostOfSales
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of gross profit (loss) reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222650&loc=SL51721683-107760

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(g))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33912-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationGrossProfitLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of net income (loss) reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 3
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33918-111571

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 235
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08(g))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (f)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=75031198&loc=d3e14064-108612

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 205
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 7
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109222650&loc=SL51721683-107760

Reference 5: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 323
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=114001798&loc=d3e33912-111571

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationNetIncomeLoss
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The amount of revenue from sale of goods and services reduced by sales returns, allowances, and discounts reported by an equity method investment of the entity.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EquityMethodInvestmentSummarizedFinancialInformationRevenue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	srt_ScheduleOfEquityMethodInvestmentEquityMethodInvesteeNameAxis=nl_KronosWorldwideIncMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: