Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. A process for enhancing the critical current density of a bulk body article composed having Li intimately distributed in a composition of a high temperature superconducting composition, comprising the steps of: L 1 M 2 Cu 3 O 6+d ,  T 2 Mxe2x80x2 2 Ca n Cu n+1 O 6+2n ,  (L+M) 3-z D z Cu 3 O 6+d ,  or  T 2 Mxe2x80x2 2 Ca n (Cu 1-zxe2x80x2 D zxe2x80x2 ) n+1 O 6+2n ,  wherein L is yttrium, lanthanum, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, or lutetium, or mixtures thereof including mixtures with scandium, cerium, praseodymium, terbium, M is barium, strontium or mixtures thereof; xe2x80x9czxe2x80x9d is greater than zero and equal to or less than 0.3; xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d is from about 0.7 to about 1.0; T is bismuth and Mxe2x80x2 is strontium or T is thallium and Mxe2x80x2 is barium; and xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d is a number from about 1 to about 3, xe2x80x9czxe2x80x2xe2x80x9d is greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.5; and D is Li; wherein the Li is present in an amount to provide for a  6 Li:Cu ratio of at least about 2.5xc3x9710 xe2x88x928 ; radiating the bulk body article with thermal neutrons until a quantity of the Li content of such body portion undergoes thermal neutron induced reaction to produce  4 He. positioning a bulk body article in a position to be irradiated comprised of a composition of the formula 2. The process of  claim 1  wherein the body article is comprised of L 1 M 2 (Cu 3 O 6+d  in which Li is intimately distributed and further wherein Li is present in an amount to provide for a  6 Li:Cu ratio of at least about 1xc3x9710 xe2x88x925 . claim 1 3. The process of  claim 2  wherein  6 Li is intimately distributed within such body article composition in an atomic ratio relative to copper equal to or less than 0.5. claim 2 4. The process of  claim 2  wherein the body article is exposed to a thermal neutron fluence sufficient to react at least one lithium atom per each 10 9  copper atoms. claim 2 5. The process of  claim 4  wherein said body article is composed of Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 6+d  and contains  6 Li in an atomic ratio relative to copper of at least about 1xc3x9710 xe2x88x923 . claim 4 6. The process of  claim 1  wherein said body article is composed of claim 1 (L+M) 3-z D z Cu 3 O 6+d  wherein  L is yttrium, lanthanum, samarium, europium, and gadolinium;  M is barium or a mixture of barium and strontium;  D is Li;  xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d is about 0.7 to 1.0;  xe2x80x9czxe2x80x9d is from about 1xc3x9710 xe2x88x927  to about 2xc3x9710 xe2x88x922 ;  and the ratio L:M is from about 0.45 to about 0.55. 7. The process of  claim 6 , wherein portions of such body are exposed to a thermal neutron fluence sufficient to react at least one D atom per each 10 7  copper atoms. claim 6 8. The process of  claim 7 , wherein L is Y and M is Ba. claim 7 9. The process of  claim 1 , wherein claim 1 L is yttrium, lanthanum, samarium, europium or gadolinium;  M is barium;  xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d is about 0.7 to 1.0;  xe2x80x9czxe2x80x9d is from about 3xc3x9710 xe2x88x925  to about 1.5xc3x9710 xe2x88x921 ;  and the ratio L:M is about 0.5. 10. The process of  claim 9 , wherein portions of such body are exposed to a thermal neutron fluence sufficient to react at least one D atom per each 10 7  copper atoms. claim 9 11. The process of  claim 10 , wherein L is Y and M is Ba. claim 10 12. The process of  claim 1 , wherein claim 1 L is yttrium, lanthanum, samarium, europium and gadolinium;  M is barium or a mixture of barium and strontium;  D is L  6 Li;  xe2x80x9cdxe2x80x9d is about 0.7 to 1.0;  xe2x80x9czxe2x80x9d is from about 3xc3x9710 xe2x88x928  to about 0.3;  and the ratio L:M is from about 0.45 to about 0.55 provided that L does not exceed one and M does not exceed two. 13. The process of  claim 12 , wherein portions of such body are exposed to a thermal neutron fluence sufficient to react at least one D atom per each 10 9  copper atoms. claim 12 14. The process of  claim 13 , wherein L is Y and M is Ba. claim 13 15. The process of  claim 14 , wherein portions of such body are exposed to a thermal neutron fluence sufficient to react at least one D atom per each 10 7  copper atoms. claim 14 16. The process of  claim 1  wherein the body article is comprised of Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca n Cu n+1 O 6+2n  in which Li is intimately distributed. claim 1 17. The process of  claim 16  wherein  6 Li is intimately distributed within such body article composition in an atomic ratio relative to copper equal to or less than 0.5. claim 16 18. The process of  claim 1 , wherein said body article is composed of claim 1 T 2 Mxe2x80x2 2 Ca n (Cu 1-zxe2x80x2 D zxe2x80x2 ) n+1 O 6+2n  wherein  T is bismuth and Mxe2x80x2 is strontium, or  T is thallium and Mxe2x80x2is barium;  xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d is a number from about 1 to about 2;  xe2x80x9czxe2x80x9dxe2x80x2 is greater than zero and less than or equal to 0.5. 19. The process of  claim 18 , wherein portions of such body are exposed to a thermal neutron fluence sufficient to react at least one D atom per each 10 9  copper atoms. claim 18 20. The process of  claim 19 , wherein T is bismuth and Mxe2x80x2 is strontium and xe2x80x9czxe2x80x2xe2x80x9d is from about 2.5xc3x9710 xe2x88x928  to about 5xc3x9710 xe2x88x921 . claim 19 21. The process of  claim 20 , wherein portions of such body are exposed to a thermal neutron fluence sufficient to react at least one D atom per each 10 9  copper atoms. claim 20 22. The process of  claim 21 , wherein xe2x80x9czxe2x80x2xe2x80x9d is from about 1xc3x9710 xe2x88x926  to about 1xc3x9710 xe2x88x921 . claim 21 23. The process of  claim 22 , wherein portions of such body are exposed to a thermal neutron fluence sufficient to react one Li atom per each 10 7  copper atoms. claim 22