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Commitments and Contingencies - Respirator and Environmental (Details) | 12 Months Ended
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Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) defendant | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) individual | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) facility | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) lawsuit | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) claim | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) plan | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) item | Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) | Dec. 31, 2017 item
Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total number of named claimants |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,320 |  | 2,230
Number of years company has been the defendant in Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation | 20 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of total claims the Company prevailed after being taken to trial |  |  |  |  | 2 | 14 |  |  |  |
Number of total claims taken to trial | claim |  |  |  |  |  | 15 |  |  |  |
Number of total claims dismissed | claim |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |
Increase in liabilities | $ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 141,000,000 |
Payments for fees and settlements related to litigation | $ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 76,000,000 |
Insurance receivables | $ | $ 4,000,000 | $ 4,000,000 | $ 4,000,000 | $ 4,000,000 | $ 4,000,000 | $ 4,000,000 | $ 4,000,000 | $ 4,000,000 | 4,000,000 |
Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation | State court of California |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of total claims the Company prevailed after being taken to trial | lawsuit |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation | State court of Kentucky |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of unnamed defendant | individual |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation settlement awarded | $ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2,000,000 |
Amount of punitive damages awarded | $ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 63,000,000 |
Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation - State of West Virginia |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of additional defendants | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | $ 0 | 0 | $ 0 | 0 | $ 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Respirator Mask/Asbestos litigation - Excluding Aearo Technologies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | 673,000,000 | 673,000,000 | 673,000,000 | 673,000,000 | 673,000,000 | 673,000,000 | 673,000,000 | 673,000,000 | 673,000,000 |
Increase in liabilities | $ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 65,000,000 |
Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation - Aearo Technologies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 | 28,000,000 |
Quarterly fee paid to Cabot to retain responsibility and liability for products manufactured before July 11, 1995 | $ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 100,000 |
Environmental Matters - Remediation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | 25,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 25,000,000 | 25,000,000 |
Insurance receivables | $ | $ 8,000,000 | $ 8,000,000 | $ 8,000,000 | 8,000,000 | 8,000,000 | 8,000,000 | $ 8,000,000 | $ 8,000,000 | 8,000,000 |
Number of years remediation payments expected to be paid for applicable sites | 20 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Regulatory Activities |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of years after phase-out decision in May 2000 that the Company stopped manufacturing and using vast majority of perfluorooctanyl compounds | 2 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amount of PFOA and PFOS found in drinking water, either individually or combined, that are allowed per the EPA's announced lifetime health advisory levels in parts per trillion |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 70 |  |
Amount of PFOA in drinking water allowed per provisional health advisories in parts per trillion (superseded) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 400 |  |
Amount of PFOS in drinking water allowed per provisional health advisories in parts per trillion (superseded) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 200 |  |
Number of EPA announced plans Regarding PFAS | plan |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |
Number compounds EPA asked for public comment on draft toxicity assessments for PFAS compounds, including PFBS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |
Number of public water supplies the EPA reported results |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 4,920 |  |
Number of water supplies that reported above advisory level with PFOA |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 13 |  |
Number of water supplies that reported above advisory level with PFOS |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 46 |  |
Number of water supplies that reported above advisory level with both PFOA and PFOS under technical advisory issued by EPA in September 2016 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 65 |  |
Environmental Matters - Regulatory Activities | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of PFCs the EPA has required to have public water system suppliers monitor |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 6 |  |
Number of water supply samples used to test for PFOA and PFOS under the EPA lifetime health advisory program |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |
Environmental Matters - Regulatory Activities | Alabama |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of years covered by permit for sludge containing PFCs | 20 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Regulatory Activities | Minnesota Department of Health |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Amount of PFOA in drinking water allowed per Minnesota Department of Health in parts per trillion |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 35 |  |
Amount of PFOS in drinking water allowed per Minnesota Department of Health in parts per trillion |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 27 |  |
Amount of PFBS in drinking water allowed per Minnesota Department of Health in parts per billion |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |
Environmental Matters - Litigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of local water works for whom the water authority supplies water |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 5 |  |
Environmental Matters - Litigation | U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of unnamed defendant | defendant |  | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Litigation | Alabama | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total number of named claimants | individual |  |  | 200 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Litigation | Morgan County, Alabama |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total number of named claimants | individual |  |  | 3 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Litigation | Minnesota |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Litigation settlement awarded | $ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 897,000,000 |
Settlement amount paid as grant | $ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 850,000,000 |
Amount the State's damages expert contended that the State incurred in damages | $ | $ 5,000,000,000 | $ 5,000,000,000 | $ 5,000,000,000 | 5,000,000,000 | 5,000,000,000 | 5,000,000,000 | $ 5,000,000,000 | $ 5,000,000,000 | 5,000,000,000 |
Environmental Matters - Other Environmental Litigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accrued loss contingency reserve | $ | $ 59,000,000 | $ 59,000,000 | $ 59,000,000 | $ 59,000,000 | $ 59,000,000 | $ 59,000,000 | $ 59,000,000 | $ 59,000,000 | 59,000,000 |
Number of former disposal sites with PFC present in soil and groundwater in Washington County, Minnesota |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |
Environmental Matters - Other Environmental Litigation | Maximum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of years remediation payments expected to be paid for applicable sites | 4 years |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Other Environmental Litigation | U.S. District Court of New York State |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of lawsuits filed | lawsuit |  |  |  |  | 22 |  |  |  |  |
Number of class action lawsuits | lawsuit |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Other Environmental Litigation | New Jersey |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Approximate number of miles of a river seeking to be cleaned |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8 |  |
The value the award the plaintiff seeks | $ |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 165,000,000 |
Number of chemicals of concern in the sediment |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 8 |  |
Number of commercial drum conditioning facilities | facility |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Other Environmental Litigation | New Jersey | Minimum |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of unnamed defendant | defendant |  | 120 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Aqueous Film Forming Foam Litigation |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of putative class action and other lawsuits | lawsuit |  |  |  |  | 85 |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Aqueous Film Forming Foam Litigation | U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of lawsuits filed | lawsuit |  |  |  |  | 85 |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Other PFAS-related Environmental Litigation | Alabama |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of putative class action and other lawsuits | lawsuit |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Other PFAS-related Environmental Litigation | Delaware |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of putative class action and other lawsuits | lawsuit |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Other PFAS-related Environmental Litigation | Maine |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of unnamed defendant | individual |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Other PFAS-related Environmental Litigation | New Jersey |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of unnamed defendant | lawsuit |  |  |  |  | 1 |  |  |  |  |
Environmental Matters - Other PFAS-related Environmental Litigation | Michigan |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loss contingencies |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Total number of named claimants | individual |  |  | 214 |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Number of class action lawsuits | lawsuit |  |  |  |  | 2 |  |  |  |  |

X
- Definition The amount of perfluorooctanoate (PFOA) in drinking water allowed per the guidance of the provisional health advisories issued by the EPA in 2009 under the Safe Drinking Water Act (presented parts per trillion). + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in drinking water allowed per the guidance of the provisional health advisories issued by the EPA in 2009 under the Safe Drinking Water Act (presented in parts per trillion). + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition This element represents the amount of PFBS chemicals allowed in drinking water (in parts per billion) per guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | mmm_
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Balance Type: | na
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- Definition The amount of Perfluoroocotanoate (PFOA) and Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in drinking water allowed per the EPA's announced lifetime health advisory levels (presented as parts per trillion). + References No definition available. + Details
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Balance Type: | na
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- Definition This element represents the amount of PFOA chemicals allowed in drinking water (in parts per trillion) as per guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | mmm_
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- Definition This element represents the amount of PFOS chemicals allowed in drinking water (in parts per trillion) per guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health. + References No definition available. + Details
Name: | mmm_AmountOfPfosInDrinkingWaterAllowedPerMinnesotaDepartmentOfHealth
Namespace Prefix: | mmm_
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Balance Type: | na
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- Definition The amount of punitive damages awarded. + References No definition available. + Details
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Balance Type: | debit
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- Definition The number of years the Company expects it will pay the amounts recorded over the periods of remediation for the applicable sites. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | mmm_
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- Definition The amount of damages the State incurred as detailed in the State’s damages expert submitted report. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The approximate number of miles of the river plaintiffs are seeking to be cleaned. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of claims that the Company prevailed after being taken to trial. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of claims settled and taken to trial. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of years the company has been the defendant in Respirator Mask/Asbestos Litigation. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | mmm_
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- Definition The number of former disposal sites with a presence of PFCs in the soil and groundwater. + References No definition available. + Details
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Data Type: | xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type: | na
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- Definition The number of years the entity incorporated wastewater treatment plant sludge containing PFCs pursuant to a permit issued by ADEM. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Represents the number of EPA announced plans Regarding PFAS which includes evaluating the need to set Safe Drinking Water Act maximum contaminant levels (MCLs) for PFOA and PFOS and beginning the steps necessary to designate PFOA and PFOS as “hazardous substances” under CERCLA. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of chemicals of concern in the sediment. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | mmm_
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Balance Type: | na
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- Definition The number of class action lawsuits involved. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of commercial drum conditioning facilities. + References No definition available. + Details
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Balance Type: | na
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- Definition Represents the number compounds EPA asked for public comment on draft toxicity assessments for PFAS compounds, including PFBS. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | mmm_
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- Definition The number of local water works for whom the water authority supplies supply water. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of PFCs the EPA has required to have public water system suppliers monitor. + References No definition available. + Details
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Namespace Prefix: | mmm_
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- Definition The amount of public water supplies for which the EPA reported results. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of putative class action and other lawsuits. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of samples used of water supplies used by the EPA to test for lifetime health advisory amounts of PFOA and PFOS chemicals. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The number of unnamed defendants. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of water supplies that reported above the lifetime health advisory level issued by the EPA for both PFOA and PFOS under the technical advisorty issued by the EPA in September 2016. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of water supplies that reported above the lifetime health advisory level issued by the EPA for PFOA. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The amount of water supplies that reported above the lifetime health advisory level issued by the EPA for PFOS. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Number of years after phase-out decision in May 2000 that the Company stopped manufacturing and using vast majority of perfluorooctanyl compounds. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The quarterly fee paid to a co-defendant to retain responsibility, and liability for and indemnify the entity's subsidiary against product liability claims for respirators manufactured prior to July 11, 1995. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount due in settlement of a claim for reimbursement from an insurance company when the Company has suffered a loss covered under an insurance policy. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The increase (decrease) during the reporting period in asbestos and environmental claims reserve, before estimated recoveries from reinsurers. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 944 -SubTopic 40 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -Subparagraph (b),(c) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99382578&loc=d3e14764-158437 + Details
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- Definition Amount awarded to other party in judgment or settlement of litigation. + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition Amount of litigation expense, including but not limited to legal, forensic, accounting, and investigative fees. + References No definition available. + Details
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- 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
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- Definition Amount of loss contingency liability. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82911808&loc=d3e14326-108349 + Details
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- Definition Amount of cash outflow reducing loss contingency liability. + References Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 450 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=82911808&loc=d3e14326-108349 + Details
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