A new type collector alpha-Bromodecanoic acid (CH3(CH2)(7)CHBrCOOH, alpha-BDA) was synthesized by solvent-free method (Hell-Volhard-Zelinski reaction) in laboratory for the flotation of quartz mineral at a relatively low temperature of 16 degrees C. The adsorption mechanism of alpha-BDA collector on quartz mineral surface was established by zeta potential measurements, contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), in conjunction with the results of quartz micro-flotation tests. The flotation results showed that the activator Ca(II) functioned as an indispensable and crucial factor on the recovery of pure quartz. When the quartz was floated with alpha-BDA alone at strong alkaline conditions (pH >= 11.50), the recovery rate reached to only 11.9%. However, when using the activator Ca(II) at a concentration of 4 x 10(-4) mol/L, the collector exhibited an excellent performance, where about 99.5% of the quartz had been floated at or above pH value 11.50 at 16 degrees C. The study revealed that the alpha-BDA collector had adsorbed on the surface of pure quartz in the forms of electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bonding and chemical adsorption based on the results of zeta potential measurements, contact angle measurements, FT-IR spectra, and XPS. (c) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.