Financial Information by Segment - Schedule of Performance Segment (Detail) - Performance Chemicals [Member] - Operating Segments [Member] - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 254	$ 268	$ 485	$ 497
Performance Additives [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	179	177	346	336
Formulated Solutions [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Net sales	$ 75	$ 91	$ 139	$ 161

Amount, excluding tax collected from customer, of revenue from satisfaction of performance obligation by transferring promised good or service to customer. Tax collected from customer is tax assessed by governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction, including, but not limited to, sales, use, value added and excise.

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130543-203045

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130539-203045

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=109196051&loc=SL49130545-203045

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