Selective laser bonding on textiles

An article of apparel comprising:

• a nonwoven textile having an outer-facing surface, an inner-facing surface, and a volume between the inner-facing surface and the outer-facing surface, the nonwoven textile comprising:
• a first plurality of fibers having a first propensity to absorb electromagnetic radiation emitted by a laser;
• a second plurality of fibers having a second propensity to absorb the electromagnetic radiation, the second propensity to absorb the electromagnetic radiation is lower than the first propensity to absorb the electromagnetic radiation, at least some of the second plurality of fibers are mixed with the first plurality of fibers, wherein fibers of at least one the first plurality of fibers and the second plurality of fibers comprise a polymer;
• and
• a plurality of discrete bonding structures positioned between the inner-facing surface and the outer-facing surface of the nonwoven textile within the volume of the nonwoven textile, at least some of the plurality of discrete bonding structures including an amorphous polymer agglomerate and fibers from one or more of the first plurality of fibers and the second plurality of fibers in a fiber form, wherein portions of the fibers from one or more of the first plurality of fibers and the second plurality of fibers are at least partially encapsulated by the amorphous polymer agglomerate.

A method of finishing a nonwoven textile having a first face, an opposite second face, and a volume between the first face and the opposite second face, the nonwoven textile comprising a first plurality of fibers having a first propensity to absorb electromagnetic radiation emitted by a laser, and a second plurality of fibers having a second propensity to absorb the electromagnetic radiation that is lower than the first propensity to absorb the electromagnetic radiation, wherein at least some of the second plurality of fibers are mixed with the first plurality of fibers, and wherein fibers of at least one of the first plurality of fibers and the second plurality of fibers comprise a polymer, the method comprising:

• selectively applying the electromagnetic radiation from the laser to the nonwoven textile to form a plurality of discrete bonding structures within the volume of the nonwoven textile, the plurality of discrete bonding structures positioned between the first face and the second face within the volume of the nonwoven textile, at least some of the plurality of discrete bonding structures including an amorphous polymer agglomerate and fibers from one or more of the first plurality of fibers and the second plurality of fibers in a fiber form, wherein portions of the fibers from one or more of the first plurality of fibers and the second plurality of fibers are at least partially encapsulated by the amorphous polymer agglomerate.