Process for controlling thermal neutron concentration in an irradiated system

Claim 1

IN A RADIATION PROCESS WHEREIN A SYSTEM IS BEING IRRADIATED WITH A MIXTURE OF HIGH ENERGY IONIZING GAMMA RADIATION AND NEUTRONS EMANATING FROM A NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES: DISPERSING A NEUTRON ABSORBING MATERIAL IN SPACED APART RELATION THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM BEING IRRADIATED SAID NEUTRON ABSORBING MATERIAL BEING COMPATIBLE WITH SAID SYSTEM BEING IRRADIATED, SAID NEUTRON ABSORBER BEING PRESENT IN AN AMOUNT OF AT LEAST ABOUT 0.1 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF THE WEIGHT OF SAID SYSTEM BEING IRRADIATED, SAID NEUTROL ABSORBER BEING A MEMBER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ELEMENTAL BORON, CADAMIUM, MERCURY, GADOLINIUM, SAMARIUM, EUROPIUM, DYSPROSIUM, IRIDUIM, COMPOUNDS CONTAINING SAID MEMBERS AND MIXTURES OF SAID ELEMENTAL MEMBERS AND COMPOUNDS CONTAINING SAID MEMBERS, IRRADIATING SAID SYSTEM WITH HIGH ENERGY IONIZING GAMMA RADIATION AND NEUTRONS EMANUATING FROM SAID NUCLEAR REACTOR CORE, AND REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE THERMALIZED NEUTRONS FROM THE IRRADIATED SYSTEM WITHOUT UNDUE ABSORPTION OF SAID GAMMA RADIATION ENERGY BY SAID NEUTRON ABSORBING MATERIAL BEFORE SAID THERMALIZED NEUTRONS CAM REACT WITH ISOTOPES IN SAID SYSTEM TO PRODUCE UNWANTED RADIOACTIVE SPECIES.