Silica guard bed for adsorbent used in an aqueous system

Abstract

A process for separating a component from a feed mixture comprising an aqueous solution of a mixture of different components, such as a mixture of saccharides, in which the mixture is contacted with an adsorbent comprising a crystalline aluminosilicate which selectively adsorbs a component from the feed mixture. The adsorbed component is then recovered by contacting the adsorbent with a desorbent material such as water to effect the desorption of the adsorbed component from the adsorbent. There is an undesirable tendency for the silicon constituent of the crystalline aluminosilicate to dissolve in the aqueous system. The improvement to the process comprises contacting the desorbent, and/or the feed mixture, with a bed of silica gel prior to contacting the feed mixture with the adsorbent. This effects a substantial reduction in the undesirable dissolution.