The fundamentals of cohesive particulate solids' consolidation and flow properties using a reasonable combination of particle and continuum mechanics are explained. By means of the model "stiff particles with soft contacts," the combined influence of elastic, elastoplastic, and viscoplastic repulsion in particle contacts is derived. As a result, contact normal force displacement F-N(h(K)) and adhesion force models F-H(F-N) are presented that describe the instantaneous and time consolidation behavior at characteristic (averaged) particle contacts. The approach has been shown to be effective for the data evaluation of a very cohesive titania nanopowder (surface diameter d(s) = 200 nm, solid density rho(s) = 3870 kg/m(3)).