High technology ceramics with partially stabilized zirconia

A process is described for making a fully or a partially stabilized zirconia comprising: (a) making an aqueous solution of zirconium sulfate in ad-mixture with an inorganic or organic water soluble salt of on or more metals selected from the group consisting of Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Ra, Sc, Y, La, Ac, Ce, Th, and Al, the organic salt having from about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms; (b) atomizing the solution into a solvent at least partially miscible with water, the solvent present in an amount of at least 3 times the volume of the solution wherein the ratio of the solvent to the solution is about 3:1 to about 50:1, based on volume. The solvent is agitated during the addition of the solution, forming a coprecipitated metal salt; (c) separating the coprecipitated metal salt from the solvent by filtration; (d) washing the coprecipitated metal salt filtrate with an inert solvent or solvents; (e) drying the washed filtrate; and (f) calcining the dried filtrate in a flowing gas or mixture of gases