Along with the development of flotation theories and practices, the mechanism of the interaction between the flotation reagents and minerals has become the focus of current researches. Infrared spectral analysis technology has gained considerable popularity, thus it has became one of the most important research techniques in the field of action mechanism of flotation reagents with the characteristics of high speed, low cost and nondestructive. Firstly, the important status of infrared spectroscopy is introduced in view of the amount and rate of related literature. Then, infrared spectrum characteristics of common flotation reagents are summarized. Finally, progresses in applications of infrared spectral analysis technology to the collector, inhibitor and activator are described respectively. With this basis, infrared spectrum analysis criteria for action mechanisms of collectors on mineral surfaces are proposed. The chemical reaction between mineral and collector happened when the characteristic peaks of new compound can be found on the treated mineral surfaces. If only the positions of the characteristic peaks are shifted, and the displacement of this shift exceeded the background error of instrument, the chemical adsorption can be confirmed. If the characteristic peaks of new compound cannot be found and the positions of the characteristic peaks are not shifted but distilled water could wash the collectors down from the treated mineral surfaces, the physical adsorption must be confirmed. Meanwhile, two problems in this research field are discussed. On the one hand, mechanism of chemical reaction and chemical adsorption are often confused, on the other hand, background error of the infrared spectrum instrument tends to be ignored. Furthermore, the application of infrared spectroscopy in flotation need to be further investigated in three aspects,including the mechanism of mixing flotation reagents, quantitative analysis and error analysis.