AbstractThe elastoviscous behavior of polyisobutylene may be interpreted in terms of a mechanical model consisting of a distribution of Maxwell elements connected in parallel. The structure of this “generalized Maxwell model” is specified by the distribution of relaxation times of the component elements. The relaxation of stress curve of the material is directly related to the distribution of relaxation times, and general expressions for the bulk viscosities (tensile and shear) of such a system in terms of the distribution of relaxation times are readily obtained.A simple “box distribution” of relaxation times is described which can be used to approximate the relaxation behavior of polyisobutylene at the long‐time end of the relaxation time spectrum, and in terms of which the expressions for bulk viscosity reduce to very simple form. The parameters specifying this distribution may be determined from experimental relaxation curves by a simple graphical method. Values of these parameters as a functions of molecular weight and temperature are computed, by use of these data. It is shown that bulk viscosity values calculated from relaxation data by this method are in good agreement with experimental values for both tensile and shear deformations, and for both unfractionated and fractionated polymers. Measurements of viscosity and of relaxation of stress can thus be directly correlated, and could be used in combination to characterize elastoviscous properties over wide ranges of molecular weight and te