Multilayer, heat-shrinkable film comprising a plurality of microlayers

1. A multilayer, heat-shrinkable film, comprising:

a. a bulk layer; and

b. a microlayer section comprising a plurality of microlayers;

wherein, each of said microlayers and said bulk layer have a thickness, the ratio of the thickness of any of said microlayers to the thickness of said bulk layer ranging from about 1:2 to about 1:40;

wherein said microlayers each have a thickness ranging from about 0.001 to 0.015 mil, and said bulk layer has a thickness ranging from about 0.03 to 0.5 mil;

wherein each microlayer comprises one or more of ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer, ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer, maleic-anhydride-grafted polyethylene, polyamide, or low density polyethylene;

wherein, said heat-shrinkable film has a thickness of less than about 0.7 mil and an Elmendorf Tear value (ASTM D1922-06a) of at least 10 grams, as measured in at least one direction along a length or width dimension of said film;

and wherein said film has an orientation ratio of at least 4, as measured in at least one direction along a length or width dimension of said film.

2. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein said film has an orientation ratio of at least 5, as measured in at least one direction along a length or width dimension of said film.

3. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein said microlayer section comprises between 2 and 50 microlayers.

4. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein said film has a thickness of less than about 0.6 mil.

5. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein each of said microlayers have substantially the same composition.

6. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein two or more of said microlayers have compositions that are different from each other.

7. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said microlayers comprises a blend of two or more polymers.

8. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein

said film further includes at least a second bulk layer; and

said microlayer section is positioned between said bulk layers.

9. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein each of said microlayers have substantially the same thickness.

10. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said microlayers has a thickness that is different from the thickness of at least one other of said microlayers.

11. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein said film has a total free shrink (ASTM D2732-03) of at least about 10% at 200° F.

12. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 1 , wherein at least one of said microlayers comprises recycled polymer.

13. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 12 , wherein said microlayer section comprises between 1 and 50 weight percent recycled polymer, based on the total weight of the film.

14. A multilayer, heat-shrinkable film, comprising:

a. a bulk layer; and

b. a microlayer section comprising a plurality of microlayers, at least one of said microlayers comprising a blend of two more polymers and having a composition that is different from at least one other microlayer;

wherein each microlayer comprises one or more of ethylene/alpha-olefin copolymer, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer, polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer, ethylene/methacrylic acid copolymer, maleic-anhydride-grafted polyethylene, polyamide, or low density polyethylene;

wherein, each of said microlayers and said bulk layer have a thickness, the ratio of the thickness of any of said microlayers to the thickness of said bulk layer ranging from about 1:2 to about 1:40;

wherein said microlayers each have a thickness ranging from about 0.001 to 0.015 mil, and said bulk layer has a thickness ranging from about 0.03 to 0.5 mil;

wherein, said heat-shrinkable film has an Elmendorf Tear value (ASTM D1922-06a) of at least about 30 grams/mil, as measured in at least one direction along a length or width dimension of said film;

and wherein said film has an orientation ratio of at least 4, as measured in at least one direction along a length or width dimension of said film.

15. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 14 , wherein said microlayer section comprises a repeating sequence of layers represented by the structure:

A/B,

wherein,

A represents a microlayer comprising one or more polymers,

B represents a microlayer comprising a blend of two or more polymers, and

A has a composition that is different from that of B.

16. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 14 , wherein said film has a total free shrink (ASTM D2732-03) of at least about 10% at 200° F.

17. The heat-shrinkable film of claim 15 , wherein B comprises between 1 and 50 weight percent recycled polymer, based on the total weight of the film.