[Objective] The aim was to develop a nonlinear model of quantitative analysis of melamine content by infrared spectroscopy and provide theoretical basis for the nondestructive detection of melamine. [Method] According to dynamics,mathematical modeling and optimization theory,linear and nonlinear models were respectively set up by taking an absorption peak of 1 550 cm-1 as characteristic absorption peak. [Result] The correlation coefficient of nonlinear model was 0.922 7 and the recovery was 96%,which showed that the nonlinear model was more accurate than linearity model with correlation coefficient of 0.904 9 and recovery of 557%. [Conclusion] It is feasible to determine melamine content by using the nonlinear model quantitatively.