Abstract: As quartz is easily activated by metal cations, the floatability difference between niobium mineral and gangue mineral quartz decreases under hydroxamic acid collector flotation system, which increases the difficulty of separation between useful minerals and quartz. In this paper, EDTA was used as an inhibitor in the separation of niobium mineral from activated quartz. The flotation behavior and surface properties of niobite and quartz exposed to EDTA were studied by single mineral experiments, artificial mineral flotation experiments, Zeta potential tests, contact Angle tests and XPS photoelectron spectroscopy. When octyl hydroxamic acid (OHA) was used as flotation collector, EDTA as an inhibitor had a strong selective inhibition on activated quartz, because the complexation dissolution of EDTA on quartz surface reduced the adsorption of OHA on quartz surface. Flotation experiments results showed that the flotation separation of niobite from quartz was achieved at pH 9.0, FeCl₃·6H₂O dosage of 0.2 mmol/L, EDTA dosage of 0.2 mmol/L , and OHA dosage of 0.05 mmol/L. The recovery of Nb₂O₅ in niobite concentrate was 72.54%, and the grade of Nb₂O₅ was 56.84%. The recovery of SiO₂ in niobite concentrate was 12.83%, and the grade of SiO₂ was 13.17%.