It forms in certain hydrodesulfurization catalysts when alumina is doped with excess molybdenum.

[3][4] Although small quantities of aluminum molybdate form during aluminothermic reduction of molybdia, mechanical activation inhibits their formation.

[5] Large-scale samples can be prepared via sol-gel synthesis,[6] and have been proposed for molybdenum-99 storage in nuclear medicine.

[7] The room temperature crystal structure was refined using time-of-flight powder neutron diffraction data.

[8] Aluminum molybdate has a very low thermal expansion coefficient near room temperature.