Contingencies and Commitments - Additional Information - 1 (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 31, 2007	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2009
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Days provided to submit observations and comments to the EC	30 days
Number of cleanup locations		More than 100
Remediation reserve balance		$ 543,000,000	$ 509,000,000
Remediation reserve balance, classified as a current liability		70,000,000	48,000,000
Remediation reserve adjustment		47,000,000	12,000,000
Payments related to remediation expenses applied against the reserve		46,000,000	40,000,000
Increase (Decrease) in reserves due to effects of foreign currency translation		19,000,000	(1,000,000)
Actual remediation fieldwork period			4 years
Minimum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Planning and design phase period		2 years
Majority of the project funding period		2016
Guarantees, expiration date		2017
Maximum [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Planning and design phase period		3 years
Majority of the project funding period		2020
Guarantees, expiration date		2024
Recurring Costs of Managing Hazardous Substances and Environmental Programs [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Percentage of cost of goods sold		2.00%
Spanish Government [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of years operating under a power supply structure	9 years
Massena West, NY [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Remediation reserve balance		239,000,000	241,000,000
Grasse River [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Increase in remediation reserve		61,000,000	18,000,000
Sherwin, TX site [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Remediation reserve balance		32,000,000	35,000,000
Guarantees, expiration date		Through 2019
Portovesme [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Increase in remediation reserve		3,000,000		3,000,000
Remediation reserve adjustment		3,000,000
Other Sites [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Remediation reserve adjustment		16,000,000	6,000,000
Massena East, Ny and Point Henry and Yennora, Australia and Portovesme [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Remediation reserve adjustment		42,000,000
Massena West, NY and Baie Comeau, Quebec, Canada [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Remediation reserve adjustment			12,000,000
East St. Louis, IL Site [Member]
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Remediation reserve balance		$ 15,000,000	$ 24,000,000