The mechanism of adsorption of long-chain alkylamines at pH 6-7 onto quartz was studied using FTIR and XPS spectroscopy. The spectroscopic data were correlated with zeta potential and Hallimond flotation results. For the first time it was shown that (1) amine cation in the first monolayer is H-bonded with surface silanol group and this H-bond becomes stronger after the break in the adsorption characteristics (isotherm, zeta potential, floatability); (2) at the break the origin of the adsorbed amine species changes qualitatively, and along with alkylammonium ion attached to deprotonated silanol group, molecular amine appears at the surface and, as a result, monolayer thick patches of well-oriented and densely packed adsorbed amine species form rendering the surface highly hydrophobic; and (3) at higher amine concentration, bulk precipitation of molecular amine takes place. The counterion was found to influence both these steps. A model of successive two-dimensional and three-dimensional precipitation was suggested to explain amine adsorption on a silicate surface.