Abstract: At present, with the surging demand of cobalt metal, the extraction of cobalt from mineral resources can not fully meet the market requirement. Separation and extraction of cobalt from secondary resources is an important approach to relief the undersupply of cobalt. In this paper, the resource characteristics of Co mineral resources and secondary Co-containing resources, including waste catalysts, Co-Mn leaching residues, and waste batteries, were analyzed, and the processes, principles and technical effects of chemical precipitation method, solvent extraction method, ion exchange method and electrolysis method for the separation of cobalt and manganese ions from solutions were introduced and compared. In addition, the combined beneficiation and metallurgy methods which were suitable for the separation of cobalt and manganese from solutions were also reviewed. Among the combined technologies, the novel flotation-extraction method had the dual advantages of interface separation and chemical separation, and it was characterized as high separation efficiency, short process and low cost. It is especially suitable for the large-scale separation and enrichment of valuable metals in low-concentration waste liquid or wastewater in the metallurgical industry, presenting a broad application prospect.