Advantages and Disadvantages of the Gravimetric Technique

The primary advantage of the gravimetric method is very high precision and accuracy. (A similar advantage is found in normal gravimetric analytical chemistry.) High-quality research work and pore analysis should be performed with this technique. 

There are not many errors associated with the method. The calibration is relatively simple and for routine analysis, trivial. The gravimetric method is usually faster in routine mode than the volumetric method, due to the fact that fewer calibrations are needed. 

The primary disadvantage is expense. In a gravimetric system it is expensive to purchase a good micro-balance. The sensitivity of the balance, and thus the quality of the work, is directly related to how much one spends. A second expense is the high-quality table and positioning. It was recommended that this table be tied directly to a concrete floor, preferably to a slab meant for a balance. This is an additional expense, but not absolutely 

Surface Area arid Porosity Determinations by Physisorption 

A lot of near-by ground noise is also a problem. Earthquakes are not normally a problem since they are relatively rare, even in California, and some data might be lost for the normal surface analysis operation. For other, longer term studies, for which this system is suited, earthquakes and blasting within a range of several miles could be a problem. These latter studies, however, are not normally possible in a volumetric system anyway. 

---