Today, I powder coated the exposed aluminum part of the build platform with a black, textured polyester resin. The aluminum tape on the sides is to reinforce the rubber gasket that prevents resin and alcohol from leaking into the hollow space, a frequent problem I have with the standard build platforms.
I then printed a test in which 8 of 14 small models adhered successfully to the build platform. The others probably failed during the peel of the first layer. There was virtually no “flashing” on the bottom layer of the models because the black surface absorbed the UV laser instead of reflecting/scattering it.
The prints that did adhere properly were able to be removed with a reasonable amount of force (enough to beg the question as to why the others failed), and none of the powder coating was stuck to the bottom of the model. So it seems the powder has good adhesion to the metal, but the cured resin has less adhesion to the powder.
I will continue experimenting with different powder types (polyester, polyurethane, epoxy), textures, and densities to determine if powder coating is a viable option for eliminating the laser reflections that occur on the first layer of prints.