Zirconium-tin alloys are used as pressure tubes in Indian pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs). Used pressure tubes contain neutron activation products of the constituent elements. ⁶⁰Co is one of the long-lived radioisotopes of concern, for both radioactive waste management and recycling of pressure tubes. This article describes a facile cation exchange separation of Co(II) from Zr(IV) in HCl medium. Co(II) could be preferentially sorbed on the gel resin by utilizing its faster kinetics. Higher flow rates and shallow resin bed were the key steps, which prevented the loading of Zr(IV) on the resin phase.