A number of selected polymers have been irradiated with noble gas ions and investigated by optical microscopy, nuclear particle track chemical etching, absorption spectroscopy in both the visible and infrared, and by electron spin resonance (ESR). Parameters systematically varied included the projectile species (He +, Ne +, Ar + and Xe + ions), the energy of bombardment (25 keV to 2 MeV), and the total dose, or fluence (1 × 10 11 up to 3 × 10 16 ions/cm 2) A consolidated picture is built up of a radiation damaging process which is in general dominated by direct nuclear collisions between incident ions and carbon atoms in the polymeric chain. The most immediate formation of many new compounds is therefore vested in the physics and has little to do with any primary radiochemical process. Brief speculation is made on the formation of free radicals and carbon double bonding. Whereas electronically generated defects tend to recombine in Kapton easily, they play a dominant role in shaping the surface topography of irradiated Teflon. Even for doses as high as 3 × 10 16 ions/cm 2 the fundamental radiation effects have still not saturated. Highly doped polymers clearly behave distinctly different from carbon itself.