Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to explore the effects of graphene modifier on the microstructure of asphalt. The morphologies of the before- and after-aged base asphalt and modified asphalt were performed and compared with analysis. The formation mechanism of asphaltic “bee structures” and the influence mechanism of graphene on asphalt were discussed from the classical theory of material science (phase transformation theory and diffusion theory). The results show that graphene facilitates the nucleation of “bee structures”, resulting in an increasing number and decreasing volume of “bee structures” in modified asphalt. Additionally, the anti-aging performance of the modified asphalt improved significantly because of graphene incorporation.

Ternesite is synthesized through sintering a mixture of CaCO₃, SiO₂, and CaSO₄ in a molar ratio of 4:2:1. Ternesite has a hydration rate between ye’elimite and belite in an aluminum-containing environment, and is considered to be a new material that can be used to enhance the performance of calcium sulphoaluminate cements. This experiment investigated the influence of different particle sizes of SiO₂ on ternesite formation. Controlled partial pressure sintering was employed within the temperature range from 1100 °C to 1200 °C, with a 72 h incubation period. The highest purity of ternesite in the samples reached 99.47% (500 nm SiO₂ sample). The analysis results from scanning electron microscopy and an energy dispersive spectrometer indicated that the particle size of SiO₂ exerted a significant influence on the formation of ternesite. In the preparation of ternesite from 10 μm particle size SiO₂, traces of calcium silicate were found in the product. The results of a thermal analysis further demonstrated significant distinctions in the thermal stability of ternesite prepared with SiO₂ of different particle sizes. Additionally, the crystallinity of ternesite was influenced by the particle size of SiO₂, consequently impacting the hydration performance of ternesite–calcium sulphoaluminate cement.