The cationic reverse flotation route is one of the main processes to remove silicates from iron ore, and etheramines are the most common surfactants used to modify the hydrophobicity of silicate surfaces to make them floatable. The performance of etheramines in silica flotation is a function of a number of structural parameters including the raw material sources that contribute the carbon chain, which dictate the length and arrangement of the carbons in the etheramine, and whether the etheramine is a monoamine or a diamine. Three types of etheramines in the flotation of quartz were investigated in a series of microflotation experiments in a Hallimond tube to understand the influence of the chemical structure of these collectors on the floatability of silicate minerals. The etheramines investigated were a medium chain ethermonoamine (MCM), a (medium chain etherdiamine (MCD) and a long chain etherdiamine (LCD). In addition to the microflotation experiments, the pKa values of the different etheramines were also measured to evaluate the influence of etheramine species distribution on the silicate flotation. The quartz microflotation tests were conducted at different pH conditions, various collector concentrations, and in the presence and absence of starch, a common depressant for iron minerals. The results indicated that in the absence of depressant, the maximum quartz floatability was achieved at pH corresponding to the collector's pKa. In these conditions, the etherdiamines provide higher quartz hydrophobicity than the ether monoamine. With depressant, the maximum quartz floatability was achieved at pH values higher than the collector's pKa. In these conditions, the ethermonoamine provides higher quartz hydrophobicity than the etherdiamines and the collector with longer carbon chain length was stronger than the one with shorter carbon chain length.