A new copper and thorium selective chelating ion exchanger has been synthesized by condensing mandelic acid with formalin (37%) under alkaline condition using resorcinol as cross-linking agent. The characterization of the resin was done by determining the moisture content of the resin, distribution coefficients for various metal ions, base exchange capacity, pH titration and IR spectra. The sorption and desorption cycles have been examined using a column packed with the resin without any loss of column performance, which indicates the possibility for its reuse. The developed column technique has been used for the binary separations Mg2+/Cu2+, Zn2+/Pb2+, Mg2+/Pb2+, Zn2+/Th4+, Al3+/Th4+, Mg2+/Al3+ and Mg2+/Ca2+. The separation performed on the ion exchange column is very important for the environmentalists.