Available online www.jocpr.com Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research, 2017, 9(3):141-152 Research Article ISSN : 0975-7384 CODEN(USA) : JCPRC5 141 Study of the Corrosion-Erosion Behavior of Cu70-Ni30 Alloy Inflowing Water Containing Marble Particles Laidi Babouri 1 , Kamel Belmokre 2 , Smail Brioua 2 and Jean-François Bardeau 3* 1 School of Higher Education in Skikda, Algeria 2 Department of Materials Science, University of Skikda, Algeria\ 3 LUNAM University, IMMM, UMR CNRS 6283, Avenue Olivier Messiaen, 72085 Le Mans Cedex 9, France _____________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT This paper reports on the study of copper-nickel alloy (Cu70-Ni30) surface modifications during the corrosion- erosion process taking place in flowing water containing marble particles. The surface modifications were evaluated at room temperature under agitation by potentiodynamic polarization curves and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS). The electrochemical measurements showed that the corrosion current density decrease from 6,3mA/cm 2 to 4,8 mA/cm 2 whenthe marble powder concentration increases from 0 to 8 ppm. The morphology and the nature of corrosion products, formed on the copper alloy surface, were studied by optical microscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. At low concentration (from 0 to 4 ppm) the structural analysis showed the presence of Cu 2 O and CuO compounds while at 8 ppm the passive films are formed of Cu 2 O and NiO. White deposits of CaCO 3 and a local abrasion are also evidenced for 8 ppm. The mechanism of Cu70-Ni30 corrosion-erosion as function of marble powder concentration are discussed. At low concentration (2 and 4 ppm) the presence of marble solid particles in flowing water leads to erosion and corrosion of the surface and for 8 ppm both erosion and abrasion are clearly observed. Keywords: Marble particles; Copper-Nickel alloy; Erosion; Abrasion; Electrochemistry _____________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION Marble is one of the particularly precious stones [1]. Indeed, this metamorphic stone composed of calcite (CaCO 3 ) is extremely hard. It was formed with recrystallization of ancient limestone and dolomite under intense pressure and heat during geologic processes [1-4]. Regarding its mechanical and chemical resistance, marble presents same technical characteristics as limestone. The compressive strength is between 70 and 150 N/mm², and porosity is rarely greater than 1.5 % [5]. Because of its remarkable physical and mechanical properties (density, brightness, porosity, crushing strength, abrasion resistance), marble is used as a building material and outdoor sculpture as well as for sculpture bases. In architecture, it is also used in exterior walls and veneers, flooring, decorative features, stairways and walkways [6]. The high-quality finished products of marble are obtained by the transformation of raw blocks extracted from quarries. The transformation cycle follows a fairly simple technological process based primarily on the sawing operation. During the cutting process, around 25% of the original marble mass is lost as dust [7]. The industries use diamond tools for cutting and sawing marble. This is an effective technic when used with a water irrigation system. The presence of water ensures both lubrication of the tool and evacuation of generated cutting dust. The wastewater is then evacuated through copper alloy pipes, especially Cu-Ni alloys [8,9] because such alloys are mainly recommended for its excellent resistance to corrosion in aggressive environments. Indeed, they have shown an excellent behaviour in seawater against biofouling [10] due to their electrochemical properties and the formation of oxide and/or hydroxide compounds covering the metal surface [11,12]. It has been reported that cuprous oxide Cu 2 O, cupric oxide CuO and copper hydroxychloride Cu 2 (OH) 3 Cl are the predominant passive elements [13,14] formed in aqueous medium.