A pug mill having a housing and a cantilevered shaft extending through the housing includes, in seriatim, a vacuum chamber, a wall, a mixing chamber and a reduction cone. A communication port about the shaft is positioned in the wall between the vacuum chamber and the mixing chamber. Vacuum can be maintained within the mixing chamber by air passing through the port. An auger associated with the shaft forces clay toward the reduction cone. This creates a seal for maintaining vacuum within the mixing chamber and extrudes cylindrical blocks of conditioned clay without significant air bubbles. A deflection plate rotating with the shaft and a spiral element about the shaft keep the communication port clear. The shaft is eccentrically mounted. The dividing wall is removable.

This disclosure relates to equipment utilized to manufacture chemical agents, particularly biopharmaceuticals. In some embodiments, reactor systems comprising a mobile carriage assembly; a disposable reaction container removably attached to the carriage assembly; and, a carriage holder into which the mobile carriage assembly may be removably inserted are provided.