Income Taxes (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended					9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2012		Sep. 30, 2011
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate						24.00%		26.00%
Income tax benefit	$ 122			$ 120		$ 253		$ 340
Environmental remediation costs						159		0
Business restructuring	0		208	0		208	[1]	0
Costs related to business acquisitions				0	[2]	6	[2]	(9)	[2]
Transaction expenses related to separation and merger transaction	9	[3]				13	[3]
Estimate, Tax deductable seperation costs percentage						20.00%
Environmental Remediation Expense [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate						37.70%
Income tax benefit						60
Environmental remediation costs						159
Business Restructuring Reserves [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate						21.40%
Income tax benefit						45
Business restructuring						208
Acquisition-related Costs [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate						28.60%
Income tax benefit						2
Costs related to business acquisitions						6
Costs Related to Separation and Merger Transaction [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate						7.50%
Income tax benefit						1
Transaction expenses related to separation and merger transaction						$ 13
Remaining Amount [Member]
Income Taxes [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate						25.00%		26.00%

[1] The charge for business restructuring costs in the nine months ended September 30, 2012, includes charges of $65 million related to the Performance Coatings segment, $46 million related to the Industrial Coatings segment, $63 million related to the Architectural Coatings - EMEA segment, $32 million related to the Optical and Specialty Materials segment $1 million related to the Commodity Chemicals segment and $1 million related to Corporate. These costs are considered to be unusual and non-recurring and do not reduce the segment earnings used to evaluate the performance of the operating segments.

[2] For the nine months ended September 30, 2012, the expense represents the flow-through cost of sales of the step up to fair value of inventory acquired from Dyrup and Colpisa. These costs are considered to be unusual and non-recurring and do not reduce the segment earnings used to evaluate the performance of the operating segments. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011, represents a net benefit stemming primarily from a bargain purchase gain reflecting the excess of the fair value of the net assets acquired over the price paid for the business, net of the flow-through cost of sales of the step up to fair value of acquired inventory.

[3] Represents costs incurred in connection with the announced separation and merger of the commodity chemicals business.