Process for recovering a metallic component

1. A process for preparing glycols from a saccharide-containing feedstock comprising steps of:

(i) providing a saccharide-containing feedstock, water and hydrogen to a reactor, wherein the reactor contains at least two active catalytic components, said active catalyst components comprising, as a first active catalyst component, one or more materials selected from transition metals from groups 8, 9 or 10 or compounds thereof, with catalytic hydrogenation capabilities; and, as a second active catalyst component, one or more homogeneous catalysts selected from tungsten, molybdenum, lanthanum, tin or compounds or complexes thereof;

(ii) withdrawing a reactor product stream from the reactor;

(iii) separating the reactor product stream into at least a glycol product stream and a hydrocarbon heavies stream, wherein the hydrocarbon heavies stream is at least partially recycled back to the reactor;

(iv) bleeding a hydrocarbon product stream from the hydrocarbon heavies stream as it is recycled to the reactor;

(v) subjecting the hydrocarbon product stream to a thermal oxidation at a temperature of from 300 to 750° C., thereby providing a solid residue; and

(vi) collecting the solid residue.

2. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the first active catalyst component is a heterogeneous catalyst and consists of one or more of the group selected from iron, cobalt, nickel, ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, iridium and platinum.

3. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the second active catalyst component comprises one or more homogeneous catalysts selected from compounds or complexes of tungsten or molybdenum.

4. A process according to claim 3 , wherein the second active catalyst comprises one or more material selected from the list consisting of tungstic acid, molybdic acid, ammonium tungstate, ammonium metatungstate, ammonium paratungstate, tungstate compounds comprising at least one Group I or II element, metatungstate compounds comprising at least one Group I or II element, paratungstate compounds comprising at least one Group I or II element, heteropoly compounds of tungsten, heteropoly compounds of molybdenum, tungsten oxides, molybdenum oxides and combinations thereof.

5. A process according to claim 1 , wherein a buffer is supplied to the reactor.

6. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the thermal oxidation is from 350 to 500° C.

7. A process according to claim 1 , wherein the solid residue is dissolved in a solvent, thereby providing a solution, and wherein the solution is filtered to allow for separation of carbonaceous deposits that may have been present in the solid residue.

8. A process according to claim 7 , wherein the solvent is an aqueous stream originating from the process for preparing glycols from the saccharide-containing feedstock.

9. A process according to claim 7 , wherein the solvent is a hydrocarbon stream originating from the process for preparing glycols from the saccharide-containing feedstock.