Composite detectors made of stainless steel converters and multigap resistive
plate chambers have been irradiated with quasi-monoenergetic neutrons with a
peak energy of 175MeV. The neutron detection efficiency has been determined
using two different methods. The data are in agreement with the output of Monte
Carlo simulations. The simulations are then extended to study the response of a
hypothetical array made of these detectors to energetic neutrons from a
radioactive ion beam experiment.Comment: Submitted to Eur.Phys.J. A; upgraded version correcting some typos
and updating ref.