Cryopumping hydrogen isotope mixtures in MFTF-B with and without argon adsorbent

Mixtures of hydrogen isotopes, primarily deuterium (D2), protium-deuterium (HD), and protium (H2) must be pumped by the vacuum system in the Mirror Fusion Test Facility at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. In this study, we used argon as an adsorbent for cryopumping these isotopes at 4.2 K and found that deuterium will displace already adsorbed protium. Thus, when we pump mixtures of the two, sufficient argon must be supplied to adsorb both species. We also found that without argon, deuterium will cryotrap protium in accord with Raoult's law