A composite polystyrene profile extending longitudinally from a first end to a second end and comprising a front surface and a back surface, comprising a. a core portion comprising a polystyrene monopolymer foam extending in the longitudinal direction, the core portion comprising polystyrene foam with a density of the range of 160 kg/m.sup.3 to 240 kg/m.sup.3.; and b. a skin portion or layer comprising/consisting of a (high impact) polystyrene copolymer and surrounding the core portion at least in the longitudinal direction, with a density in the range of 700 kg/m.sup.3 to 1300 kg/m.sup.3.; wherein the polystyrene profile comprises a combined density within the range of 200 to 360 kg/m.sup.3.; and the skin portion comprises a non-uniform thickness in a transversal direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; and associated method of manufacturing these profiles.

Disclosed herein is a method for producing a polystyrene foam. The polystyrene is dosed with a gas and the polystyrene and gas are mixed in an extruder in order to obtain a homogenous mixture. The homogeneous mixture is cooled as it travels through the extruder and is then extruded from the die at a pressure of less than 7 MPa to form a foam with a smooth skin.

A weather seal includes an elongated micro-cellular foam bulb, and an elongated micro-cellular foam fin element attached to an extending along the length of the foam bulb. The fin elements includes a spine having opposed planar surfaces and at least one microcellular foam barb extending outwardly and at a downward angle from each surface and along the length of the spine. As an alternative to barbs, another option is to use a higher durometer foamed thermoplastic elastomer in a hollow circle shape that would push into a retention pocket. A t-slot version that has a foamed bulb and a polypropylene base is another option.

An embodiment of the present disclosure has a printhead configured to print an image for characteristic detection onto a printing medium containing foaming particles by ejecting a foaming promotion liquid and a colored liquid, the image for characteristic detection having at least N unit regions, the colored liquid being applied to the at least N unit regions in equal amounts, and the foaming promotion liquid being applied to the at least N unit regions in amounts varying in stages; a foaming unit configured to foam the foaming particles; a scan unit configured to scan the image for characteristic detection and obtain, as scan results of the image for characteristic detection, correspondences between the at least N unit regions and scan values of the colored liquid; and a calculation unit configured to calculate a correction value for correcting an application amount of the foaming promotion liquid based on the scan results.