Silica guard bed for adsorbent used in an aqueous system

In a process for the separation of a component from a feed mixture comprising an aqueous solution comprising a mixture of saccharides components by contacting an aqueous solution comprising a mixture of saccharide components with an adsorbent comprising a crystalline aluminosilicate exhibiting an adsorptive selectively towards said component thereby selectively adsorbing said component from said mixture, maintain said absorbent at a temperature of less than 65.degree. C., and thereafter recovering said adsorbed component by elution with an aqueous desorbent, the silicon constituent of said crystalline aluminosilicate tending to dissolve in said solution resulting in the undesirable disintegration of said crystalline aluminosilicate, the improvement which comprises contacting said feed mixture or said desorbent with a bed of silica gel prior to contacting said feed or said desorbent with said adsorbent, thereby effecting a substantial reduction in the extent of dissolution of said silicon constituent and the extent of said disintegration of said crystalline aluminosilicate in said adsorbent.