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Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions |  | 1 Months Ended | 3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended |  |  |  |
--- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Oct. 01, 2017 USD ($) | Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($) | Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares | Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares | Jun. 30, 2018 USD ($) Segment $ / shares | Jun. 30, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares | Nov. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) | Oct. 01, 2016 USD ($) | Nov. 30, 2013 USD ($)
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill |  |  | $ 92 |  | $ 92 |  |  | $ 154 |  |
Percentage of inventories utilizing LIFO cost flow assumption |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 7.00% |  |
Retained earnings |  |  | 1,417 |  | 1,417 |  |  | $ 1,707 |  |
Cost of sales |  |  | 654 | $ 544 | 1,824 | $ 1,505 |  |  |  |
(Provision) benefit for income taxes |  |  | 4 | (16) | (194) | (33) |  |  |  |
Net income (loss) attributable to Cabot Corporation |  |  | $ 88 | $ 47 | $ (207) | $ 176 |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - basic: | $ / shares |  |  | $ 1.41 | $ 0.73 | $ (3.36) | $ 2.79 |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - diluted: | $ / shares |  |  | $ 1.40 | $ 0.73 | $ (3.36) | $ 2.78 |  |  |  |
Inventories |  |  | $ 482 |  | $ 482 |  |  | 433 |  |
Deferred income taxes |  |  | 68 |  | $ 68 |  |  | 237 |  |
Number of business reportable segments | Segment |  |  |  |  | 4 |  |  |  |  |
Accounting Standards Update 201609 [Member] | Reclassification of Excess Tax Benefit from Share-Based Compensation Awards from Cash Flows from Financing to Operating Activities [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Reclassification of tax benefit from share-based compensation awards |  |  |  |  |  | $ 8 |  |  |  |
Accounting Standards Update 201609 [Member] | (Provision) Benefit for Income Taxes [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Discrete tax benefit |  |  |  |  | $ 2 |  |  |  |  |
Change in Method of Accounting for Inventories from Last-in, First-out Method to First-in, First-out Method [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained earnings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,707 | $ 1,561 |
Cost of sales |  |  |  | $ 544 |  | 1,505 |  |  |  |
(Provision) benefit for income taxes |  |  |  | (16) |  | (33) |  |  |  |
Net income (loss) attributable to Cabot Corporation |  |  |  | $ 47 |  | $ 176 |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - basic: | $ / shares |  |  |  | $ 0.73 |  | $ 2.79 |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - diluted: | $ / shares |  |  |  | $ 0.73 |  | $ 2.78 |  |  |  |
Inventories |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 433 |  |
Deferred income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 237 |  |
Change in Method of Accounting for Inventories from Last-in, First-out Method to First-in, First-out Method [Member] | Effect of Change [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained earnings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 24 | 17 |
Cost of sales |  |  |  | $ (2) |  | $ (4) |  |  |  |
(Provision) benefit for income taxes |  |  |  |  |  | (1) |  |  |  |
Net income (loss) attributable to Cabot Corporation |  |  |  | $ 2 |  | $ 3 |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - basic: | $ / shares |  |  |  | $ 0.02 |  | $ 0.04 |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - diluted: | $ / shares |  |  |  | $ 0.02 |  | $ 0.04 |  |  |  |
Inventories |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 37 |  |
Deferred income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | (13) |  |
Change in Method of Accounting for Inventories from Last-in, First-out Method to First-in, First-out Method [Member] | As Originally Reported [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained earnings |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 1,683 | $ 1,544 |
Cost of sales |  |  |  | $ 546 |  | $ 1,509 |  |  |  |
(Provision) benefit for income taxes |  |  |  | (16) |  | (32) |  |  |  |
Net income (loss) attributable to Cabot Corporation |  |  |  | $ 45 |  | $ 173 |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - basic: | $ / shares |  |  |  | $ 0.71 |  | $ 2.75 |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - diluted: | $ / shares |  |  |  | $ 0.71 |  | $ 2.74 |  |  |  |
Inventories |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 396 |  |
Deferred income taxes |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 250 |  |
No Change in Method of Accounting for Inventories [Member] | Effect of Change [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Retained earnings |  |  | (32) |  | (32) |  |  |  |  |
Cost of sales |  |  | 8 |  | 11 |  |  |  |  |
(Provision) benefit for income taxes |  |  | 2 |  | 3 |  |  |  |  |
Net income (loss) attributable to Cabot Corporation |  |  | $ 6 |  | $ 8 |  |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - basic: | $ / shares |  |  | $ (0.10) |  | $ (0.10) |  |  |  |  |
Earnings (loss) per common share - diluted: | $ / shares |  |  | $ (0.13) |  | $ (0.13) |  |  |  |  |
Inventories |  |  | $ (48) |  | $ (48) |  |  |  |  |
Deferred income taxes |  |  | $ 16 |  | $ 16 |  |  |  |  |
Maximum [Member] | Accounting Standards Update 201609 [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Cumulative-effect of net charge to retained earnings | $ (1) |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Buildings [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Useful life of property, plant and equipment |  |  |  |  | 20 years |  |  |  |  |
Buildings [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Useful life of property, plant and equipment |  |  |  |  | 25 years |  |  |  |  |
Machinery and Equipment [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Useful life of property, plant and equipment |  |  |  |  | 10 years |  |  |  |  |
Machinery and Equipment [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Useful life of property, plant and equipment |  |  |  |  | 25 years |  |  |  |  |
Other Fixed Assets [Member] | Minimum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Useful life of property, plant and equipment |  |  |  |  | 3 years |  |  |  |  |
Other Fixed Assets [Member] | Maximum [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Useful life of property, plant and equipment |  |  |  |  | 25 years |  |  |  |  |
Tech Blend [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Identifiable intangible assets |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 29 |  |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  |  |  |  | 33 |  |  |
Tech Blend [Member] | Speciality Compounds Reporting Unit [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Goodwill |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 33 |  |  |
NHUMO [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Preferred stock redemption amount |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | $ 25
Dividend percentage of preferred stock |  |  |  |  | 6.00% |  |  |  |  |
Preferred stock dividend |  |  |  |  | $ 1 |  |  |  |  |
NHUMO [Member] | Subsequent Event [Member] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items] |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Preferred stock dividends due |  | $ 1 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

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