Abstract: Flotation is the most effective method for the enrichment of ilmenite due to the low grade and complex properties of titanium resources in China. The research progress of ilmenite flotation agents was reviewed from the perspectives of collector， activator and inhibitor. The relationship between the surface properties of ilmenite minerals and it’s floatability and the research progress of microwave surface pretreatment to improve the floatability of ilmenite are reviewed. In the flotation of ilmenite， the collector mainly functions on the mineral surface by means of chemical adsorption. The collectors combination use will have good flotation index than using single flotation reagents. In ilmenite flotation inhibitors， there are many reports on the activation of lead ions， copper ions and sulfuric acid， etc. also reported in recent years. Microwave is applied to the surface pretreatment of ilmenite， which reduces the consumption of collector， inhibitor， activator and other flotation agents. In the future， the main direction of ilmenite flotation technology development is still to develop new， environmentally friendly， low-cost and efficient flotation agents.

Key words: Ilmenite, Flotation reagents, Surface properties, Microwave pretreatment