Most of them have rather similar, wurtzite-like structures, and differ by the arrangement of lattice vacancies, which form ordered or disordered sublattices.

[4] Compressing aluminium sulfide to 2–65 bar results in the δ phase where vacancies are arranged in a superlattice of tetragonal symmetry.

At higher temperature, the Al(III) centers become randomized to give a "defect wurtzite" structure.

Aluminium sulfide is readily prepared by ignition of the elements[6] This reaction is extremely exothermic and it is not necessary or desirable to heat the whole mass of the sulfur-aluminium mixture; (except possibly for very small amounts of reactants).

The product will be created in a fused form; it reaches a temperature greater than 1,100 °C and may melt its way through steel.