Brian Iezzi leads the development of Fibarcode, a unique and indelible textile labeling method designed for authentication, traceability, and end-of-use management. With over ten years of experience in textile manufacturing and materials research and development, Brian has a rich background that includes developing novel yarns as an intern at the Gaston College Textile Technology Center and currently serving as an R&D engineer at Parkdale Mills, the largest yarn manufacturer in the western hemisphere.
Brian earned his bachelor’s degree in textile engineering from North Carolina State University and a doctorate in materials science and engineering from the University of Michigan. During an internship with the Defense Fabric Discovery Center at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory, he co-invented the Fibarcode technology. His efforts have secured $175,000 in state and federal grants to support Fibarcode’s development, including funding from the Michigan Translational Research and Commercialization program, UM Graham Sustainability Institute Catalyst grant, NextCycle Michigan Accelerator, and the National Science Foundation I-Corps program.
In his spare time, Brian has co-organized life cycle assessment educational workshops in Kenya, Tanzania, and Senegal for the African Materials Research Society. He also enjoys cooking, climbing, and mountain biking.
Represented Organization
Fibarcode
Key Innovation
This project introduces the Fibarcode, an engineered photonic “barcode” integrated directly into textile fibers. The photonic fiber barcode can be interlaced into fabrics and apparel using standard manufacturing processes such as weaving, knitting, or stitching. It provides a durable, scannable identifier that enables continuous data transfer from manufacturing through the end of a product’s life.
The Fibarcode can be read using handheld, portable spectroscopic systems, offering an indelible and accurate method for communicating critical item-level information such as material composition, care instructions, and provenance. By enabling automated identification and sorting of post-consumer textiles into appropriate feedstock categories, the technology directly addresses the lack of reliable labeling that currently limits textile recycling and circularity.
Target Market
The project targets the rapidly growing textile waste and circular economy sectors. In the United States, textile waste is the largest growing waste stream, with landfill volumes increasing 80% since 2000. Despite major investments in reuse, repair, and recycling infrastructure, these systems are hindered by poor information transfer and inaccurate labeling—nearly 30% of end-of-use textiles lack legible care or content labels, and more than 40% are mislabeled.
The Fibarcode technology offers value to apparel manufacturers, recyclers, and circular economy solution providers seeking to improve traceability, sorting automation, and material recovery. Beyond textiles, the technology could also serve markets such as anti-counterfeiting, medical garments, military uniforms for signature management, and supply chain traceability, expanding its potential impact across multiple high-value industries.
ORNL Principal Investigator
- Merlin Theodore - Group Leader, Advanced Fibers Manufacturing, Energy Science and Technology Directorate
- Daniel Webb - CFTF Technical Professional, Advanced Fibers Manufacturing, Energy Science and Technology Directorate