AbstractDetailed cation scavenger studies in pulse‐irradiated pure, liquid CCl4reveal that the 500 nm absorption has both, neutral and cationic characteristics, and that CCl4+must be the precursor. It is shown that all experimental results are compatible with the following ion neutralisation mechanism: CCl 3++ Cl−→ (CCl 3+· Cl−) → CCl4.The 500 nm band is assigned to the CCl3+‐cation (free or complexed). Its neutralisation therefore does not occur on ion recombination, but is delayed by the life time of the ion pair: τ½(ion pair) = 33 ± 3 ns at −22°C with activation energy of 10.9 ± 2.1 kJ/mol. Possible reasons for the ion pair stabilit