Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTI) today announced that the U.S. Patent Office issued Altair U.S. Patent 6,982,073 for a ‘Process for Making Nano-sized Stabilized Zirconia.’ The patent specifies an economical method of making high quality, nano-sized stabilized zirconia, a material that can be used in a wide range of industrial applications.