| Component: (Network and Table) | |
|---|---|
| Network | 2434409 - Disclosure - Pension and Postretirement Expense Level 4 (Details) - Weighted Average Allocations of Plan Assets (http://www.momentive.com/role/PensionAndPostretirementExpenseLevel4DetailsWeightedAverageAllocationsOfPlanAssets) |
| Table | Statement [Table] |
| Reporting Entity [Axis] | 0000013239 (http://www.sec.gov/CIK) |
| Statement [Line Items] | Period [Axis] | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016-01-01 - 2016-12-31 | 2015-12-31 | |||||||||||||||
| Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis] | Defined Benefit Plan, Asset Categories [Axis] | |||||||||||||||
| Equity Securities [Member] | Debt Securities [Member] | Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | Plan Asset Categories [Domain] | Equity Securities [Member] | Debt Securities [Member] | Cash and Cash Equivalents [Member] | Plan Asset Categories [Domain] | |||||||||
| Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis] | Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis] | Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis] | Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis] | Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis] | Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis] | Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis] | Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans [Axis] | |||||||||
| United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member] | Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] | United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member] | Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] | United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member] | Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] | United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member] | Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] | United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member] | Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] | United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member] | Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] | United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member] | Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] | United States Pension Plans of US Entity, Defined Benefit [Member] | Foreign Pension Plans, Defined Benefit [Member] | |
Defined Benefit Plan, Actual Plan Asset Allocations | ||||||||||||||||
Defined Benefit Plan, Target Plan Asset Allocations | ||||||||||||||||