▁section # Typ ical ▁cross ▁sections ). ▁The ▁nuclear ▁industry ▁en rich es ▁natural ▁bor on ▁to ▁nearly ▁pure ▁ 1 0 B . ▁The ▁less - valu able ▁by - product , ▁de ple ted ▁bor on , ▁is ▁nearly ▁pure ▁ 1 1 B . ▁ ▁Com mer cial ▁is ot ope ▁en rich ment ▁Because ▁of ▁its ▁high ▁neut ron ▁cross - section , ▁bor on - 1 0 ▁is ▁often ▁used ▁to ▁control ▁f ission ▁in ▁nuclear ▁react ors ▁as ▁a ▁neut ron - capt uring ▁subst ance . ▁Several ▁industrial - scale ▁en rich ment ▁processes ▁have ▁been ▁developed ; ▁however , ▁only ▁the ▁fraction ated ▁vac u um ▁dist ill ation ▁of ▁the ▁dim eth yl ▁ ether ▁ad duct ▁of ▁bor on ▁trif lu or ide ▁( D ME - BF 3 ) ▁and ▁column ▁chrom at ography ▁of ▁bor ates ▁are ▁being ▁used . ▁ ▁En rich ed ▁bor on ▁( bor on - 1 0 ) ▁ ▁En rich ed ▁bor on ▁or ▁ 1 0 B ▁is ▁used ▁in ▁both ▁radiation ▁shield ing ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁primary ▁nuc lide ▁used ▁in ▁neut ron ▁capture ▁ther apy ▁of ▁cancer . ▁In ▁the ▁latter ▁(" bor on ▁neut ron ▁capture ▁ther apy " ▁or ▁B N CT ), ▁a ▁comp ound ▁containing ▁ 1 0 B ▁is ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁a ▁ph arma ce ut ical ▁which ▁is ▁select ively ▁taken ▁up ▁by ▁a ▁m align ant ▁tum or ▁and ▁t issues ▁near ▁it .