In this study the collecting power of N-oleoyl sarcosine acid towards wolframite and quartz was studied using flotation. The adsorption mechanism was also discussed based on the results from adsorption experiments, zeta potential measurements and infrared spectroscopy study. The flotation results showed that N-oleoyl sarcosine acid showed a good collecting power towards wolframite, and the optimal flotation pH = 7 was obtained. However, the collecting power of N-oleoyl sarcosine acid towards quartz was weak. Therefore, the flotation separation of wolframite from quartz can be performed using N-oleoyl sarcosine acid as a collector. The adsorption tests and electrokinetic studies showed that N-oleoyl sarcosine acid adsorbed only on the wolframite surface. Additionally, the results from the infrared spectroscopy study confirmed that N-oleoyl sarcosine acid is adsorbed on the wolframite surface, and the metal complex (ferriccarboxylate) maybe the major adsorbed species.